Ontario's WB Melback Wins $25M Construction Contract at Electra's Cobalt Refinery
According to Canadian Mining Journal, Ontario-based industrial construction company WB Melback has been awarded a $25 million contract to build a solvent extraction facility at Electra Battery Materials’ cobalt sulfate refinery complex in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario.
Project Scope and Current Status
The contract scope covers concrete work, piping and electrical installation, and structural steel assembly. While a final construction agreement has not been signed, Electra has issued a limited notice to proceed, authorizing early site activities including material sequencing, demolition reviews, and enabling civil and structural work.
Several early milestones are already complete. According to the Canadian Mining Journal report, concrete work for the leach solution filter, installation of the steel structure for the neutralization clarifier, and delivery of key long-lead equipment have all been finished.
Paolo Toscana, Electra’s vice-president of projects and engineering, noted that contractors are already mobilized on site. “With key construction packages awarded, long-lead equipment delivered, and contractors mobilized on site, we are moving through the construction and toward commissioning next year,” Toscana said. “Safety remains foundational to every stage of the project, and our teams and contractors continue to maintain a disciplined approach to safe execution.”
What It Means for Subcontractors
For field service companies operating in Northern Ontario or looking to expand there, this project is a concrete example of battery materials infrastructure generating real construction demand.
- The scope, covering concrete, piping, electrical, and structural steel, spans multiple trades, meaning specialty subcontractors in each discipline may find work here as the project advances toward commissioning.
- The issuance of a limited notice to proceed before a full contract is finalized is a common entry point for early-activity scopes. Subcontractors should be prepared to mobilize on partial authorizations in fast-moving mineral processing projects.
- Toscana’s emphasis on safety and “disciplined execution” signals that Electra will be selective about contractors. Companies pursuing work on similar battery materials projects should have documented safety programs and relevant industrial process facility experience.
- The Temiskaming Shores location is a reminder that battery supply chain infrastructure is pushing work into more remote Northern Ontario locations, not just southern industrial centers. Subcontractors should factor in logistics, accommodation, and workforce mobilization costs when bidding similar projects.
