Rock Tech and Siemens Move From Partnership to Implementation
The latest agreements build on a strategic Memorandum of Understanding signed by Rock Tech and Siemens in March 2026.
That agreement established a roadmap for bringing Siemens' lithium conversion expertise and industrial digitalization technology to the planned Red Rock Converter.
The September agreements represent the first implementation phase of that partnership.
The companies are also evaluating additional Siemens solutions, services and engineering support with the longer-term goal of making Red Rock a potential blueprint for future lithium converters in Canada and allied markets.
What Is a Digital Process Twin?
A Digital Process Twin is a virtual, physics-based model that represents how a physical industrial facility operates.
For the Red Rock project, Siemens' technology will model the converter's processes, energy flows and material streams.
This could allow Rock Tech to test and validate different design choices before significant capital is committed.
The company says the technology can be used to assess areas including efficiency, emissions and operational reliability.
The first step will focus on a Digital Process Twin, while the broader Digital Twin technology is intended to cover the project's lifecycle from feasibility and engineering through construction and operations.
Siemens to Support the Feasibility Study
Siemens Canada will also provide specialized technical support to Rock Tech's project team.
The support will cover process control, instrumentation and automation architecture as part of the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study.
Rock Tech launched the DFS at the end of June 2026 and expects it to be finalized by mid-December.
A completed feasibility study is an important development stage for a major industrial project because it provides more detailed information about engineering requirements, costs and project design.
Why Digital Technology Matters for Lithium Processing
Lithium processing projects involve complex industrial systems, including material handling, energy use, process controls and automation.
Digital modelling can provide a way to examine how different systems interact before a physical facility is fully built.
For Rock Tech, the Digital Twin approach is intended to help evaluate design decisions and operational performance during different stages of the Red Rock project's development.
The companies will also assess whether their cooperation could be applied to future projects in other G7 countries.
Red Rock Converter Targets Ontario Lithium Supply
Rock Tech says its Ontario converter is planned to produce up to 32,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent per year.
The company also relies on its wholly owned Georgia Lake Project in Ontario as one intended source of lithium feedstock for the North American market.
Rock Tech has said its Ontario activities are part of an effort to build a regional lithium supply chain connecting resources, processing and battery-related industries.
The company is also developing a lithium converter in Guben, Germany, which has a planned capacity of 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate per year.
A Canada-Germany Technology Partnership
The latest agreement also highlights cooperation between Canadian resources and German engineering expertise.
Rock Tech and Siemens describe the partnership as supporting more resilient lithium supply chains for Canada and other G7 markets.
The companies will continue developing the Digital Twin approach while Siemens provides technical support during the Red Rock feasibility study.
The next major milestone is the expected completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study by mid-December 2026.
For Ontario's planned lithium converter, the combination of industrial digitalization and detailed engineering could shape how the project moves into its next development stages.