Green Manganese is a cleantech company developing a low-carbon technology to recover manganese from ore and industrial waste. The technology transforms manganese feedstock into high-value products, supporting a circular economy and reducing North America’s reliance on imported critical minerals. Recognized by EarthTech2050 and awarded BC CleanTech 2025 Startup of the Year, the company collaborates with industrial partners to advance waste-to-value solutions.
Manganese plays a critical role in steel production and is becoming increasingly important in EV batteries as manufacturers seek to reduce reliance on expensive and supply-constrained metals like cobalt and nickel. At the same time, in North America, the supply chain remains highly vulnerable, with nearly all manganese being imported.
Globally, over 70 million tonnes of manganese ore are mined and processed each year, yet more than half is lost to tailings and by-products that are deemed unusable with current processing technology. Conventional production methods—including smelting, acid leaching, and electrolysis are energy- and carbon-intensive, generating hazardous tailings, large volumes of sludge, and more than 120 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.
The absence of sustainable, low-carbon processing technologies, combined with stringent regulatory standards, prevents the onshoring of manganese refining. As a result, North American industries remain exposed and are unable to meet the growing demand for green steel and sustainable batteries.
Green Manganese believes that metals must be produced safely, responsibly, and with minimal climate impact.
Producing manganese from mining tailings reduces the need for new extraction and unlocks untapped domestic resources — turning waste into value. Green Manganese Technologies’ integrated ore-to-manganese process removes the need for carbon-intensive smelting and energy-heavy battery-grade processing, while onshoring production and decentralizing the supply chain.
Green Manganese’s proprietary, energy-efficient, acid-free hydrometallurgy process achieves higher recovery while using six times less energy and emitting five times less CO₂ than conventional methods.
Funded by NorthX, this project will advance the development of a continuous pilot plant to recover manganese from variable feedstocks, producing high-grade products for steel and battery applications.
