Arianne Phosphate has announced that the Government of Canada has approved the company for contribution funding of up to CAN$735 000 to support the company’s ongoing work on processing phosphate rock and optimising the purified phosphoric acid (PPA) process, as previously disclosed (read previous news story here).
The funding, provided through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) programme, is part of an CAN$80.3 million investment announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit to help build secure and resilient critical minerals supply chains in Canada and, announced by the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, on a visit to Arianne’s offices late in 2025.
Phosphate was added to the Canadian critical mineral list in 2024, joining the EU, and was recently added to the American critical mineral list. Arianne’s Lac à Paul is the only fully permitted phosphate mine in these respective jurisdictions. Having spent CAN$100 million towards the mine’s advancement, the company is now actively pursuing opportunities for the downstream production of PPA. Aside from being the only fully permitted mine, Lac à Paul hosts one of the world’s largest greenfield phosphate deposit, which is igneous allowing its phosphate concentrate to be easily processed into PPA.
“Investing in initiatives like Arianne Phosphate’s Technology Centre reinforces Canada’s position as a global leader in critical minerals. This commitment drives innovation, strengthens supply chain resilience, and creates good jobs for Canadians,” said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
“Canada’s support for Arianne Phosphate’s cutting-edge project demonstrates our commitment to building a secure and sustainable supply of critical minerals. […] Investments like this create good jobs and strengthen our ability to source essential resources right here at home in Quebec for generations to come,” added Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
“Arianne appreciates Minister Hodgson and the Government of Canada’s support of our project,” commented Marco Gagnon, Arianne Phosphate’s Executive Chairman of the Board. “Initiatives like this are key if the West is going to build its own supply chain. This investment helps Arianne to move the Lac à Paul project forward in a way that benefits the country and all of our stakeholders.”