中國電池製造商收購北美鋰業股權

China's largest battery maker has taken a large controlling stake in a lithium project in Quebec, as companies rush to get access to supplies of the key raw material.

近日，中國最大的電池製造商拿下了加拿大魁北克省一個鋰礦項目的控股權，目前該企業正急於獲得這一關鍵原材料的供給。

The purchase comes as Contemporary Amperex Technology, or CATL, is rapidly expanding its production of electric car batteries with the aim of becoming the world's largest producer by 2020.

在達成這筆交易之際，寧德時代新能源科技有限公司（CATL）正在迅速擴大電動汽車電池產量，其目標是到2020年成爲全球最大的電池製造商。

The Ningde-based company is set to raise $2bn through an initial public offering in China this year, valuing it at $20bn.

這家總部位於福建省寧德市的企業，今年將通過在中國進行首次公開募股（IPO）籌集20億美元資金，令其估值達到200億美元。

CATL bought 36.6m shares of North American Lithium from Chinese company Jilin Jien Nickel Industry, to make it a controlling shareholder with over 90 per cent of the shares, according to the statements. The Quebec government owns a 5 per cent share in the company.

據聲明透露，寧德時代向中資的吉林吉恩鎳業收購了北美鋰業的3660萬股票，以90%以上的持股成爲控股股東。魁北克省政府擁有北美鋰業5%的股份。

Jilin Jien Nickel Industry, which bought the company in 2016 out of bankruptcy, said it no longer had the money to fund its lithium project in La Corne Township.

2016年收購已破產的北美鋰業的吉林吉恩鎳業表示，它無法再滿足北美鋰業在La Corne鎮的鋰礦項目的資金需求。

Discovered in 1942, the mine once provided lithium to the US Atomic Agency in the 1950s.

這座鋰礦於1942年發現，曾於20世紀50年代向美國原子能機構提供鋰。

The mine is expected to produce 23,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium carbonate every year, according to the company's website.

據該公司的官網介紹，該礦預計每年可以生產2.3萬噸電池級碳酸鋰。

Lithium prices have more than doubled over the past two years due to growing sales of electric cars, especially in China.

隨着電動汽車銷量增長，特別是在中國，鋰的價格在過去兩年翻了一番多。