Canadian model for vertical integration
interview with
Desaulniers,
Monde Graphite.
on gold producers
ahead to
with Ken Darlington:
cleaner future for mining:
sustainable fuel solution.
mining operations.
Maritimes.
modular
Why mine operators should conduct
These four things: a panel discussion
Measuring density and volume through
innovative solution that employs cosmic rays.
Northwest Territories:
Coming in November 2022
According to a panel discussion during PDAC 2022 (pages 35-37), we are in the middle of an energy and technology revolution during which the world needs the critical minerals and raw materials Canada has. The demand for battery materi als could mean a paradigm shift for Canada’s mining and metals sector. The four things we must build and do right now to be considered a serious player in the criti cal-minerals marketplace are discussed in the report by Colin Hardie in this issue.
Additionally, according to a recent report by Clean Energy Canada and the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, EVs are to claim 35% of the global car market in 2030, up from 9% in 2021. A key takeaway from this report is that Canada has the potential to build a domestic EV battery supply chain that could easily support 60,000 jobs and contribute $12 billion in GDP if no government action is taken; however, it could create up to 250,000 jobs by 2030 and add $48 billion to the Canadian economy annually if Canada plays its cards right.
An effective strategy to achieve that would double down on EV assembly, battery cell manufacturing, and clean battery materials production. In our feature article on mining in Quebec and the Maritimes, we interviewed Eric Desaulniers, founder, pres ident, and CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) (pages 12-15) to get more insight into NMG’s experience as a Canadian model for vertical integration and sustainability. The company is developing a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material in Quebec for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets to become a strategic supplier to the world’s leading battery and automobile manufacturers. In this issue, we also feature several articles on clean mining and clean energy in addition to our new departments on technology and ESG.
In keeping with the topics of clean mining and innovation, CMJ has been provid ing extensive coverage of the innovations and new technologies that are improving our industry’s standards. This month, we would like to invite you to our virtual symposium on October 12. Under the theme “Reimagine Mining,” we’ll be engaging with the industry leaders taking mining into the next generation and looking at real solutions for the mining industry in innovation, automation, and water manage ment to deliver more of the minerals the world needs under increasingly high social and environmental standards. Please join us along with our speakers: John McCluskey, President and CEO of Alamos Gold Inc.; Chris Kennedy, director of Water at Teck Resources Ltd.; Monique Simair, CEO and principal scientist at Maven Water & Environment; and A.J. Macdonald, vice-president of Engineering at Integrated Sustainability. For more details, please visit the Events section of our website. CMJ
OCTOBER 2022 Vol. 143 – No . 8
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Canadian Mining Journal provides articles and information of practical use to those who work in the technical, administrative and supervisory aspects of exploration, mining and processing in the Canadian mineral exploration and mining industry.
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MINERVA INTELLIGENCE, an artificial intelligence software company focused on building decision support tools for cli mate risk, mineral exploration and mining, has launched a new version of its Driver software. Building on a full year of industry deployment and testing, Minerva has developed enhancements to its previously released Driver software. The updated software improves the integration of the machine learning-based grade directionality analysis toolkit with existing deposit frameworks.
Users will now see an overhauled modular structure allow ing them to rapidly compartmentalize their project into geo logical domains, run fully automatic domain-based grade estimations over multiple block model grids, and merge block models together to facilitate a comprehensive, deposit-scale multi-element overlap analysis.
RIO TINTO AND VOLVO GROUP signed a memorandum of understanding to create a strategic partnership whereby Rio will supply responsibly sourced low-carbon products and solu tions to Volvo, and the companies will work towards decar bonizing Rio Tinto’s operations through piloting Volvo’s sus tainable autonomous hauling solutions.
The multi-materials partnership will support Volvo, one of the world’s largest transport and infrastructure providers, in its ambition towards a net-zero future. The partnership aims to secure supplies of materials including lithium, low-carbon aluminum, copper, and other metals.
Volvo and Rio Tinto will work together to strengthen the supply of responsibly sourced low-carbon materials such as RenewAl aluminum, aluminum produced using the Elysis zero-carbon smelting technology, Aluminum Stewardship Ini tiative (ASI) certified aluminum, and Copper Mark certified copper. Together they will explore product development opportunities such as the supply of lithium for electric vehicle batteries.
Volvo president and CEO Martin Lundstedt said, “We are eager to partner with Rio Tinto, a true collaboration aiming to accelerate our ambitions towards a fossil-free, decarbonized future. By addressing the full value chain, from the use of low-carbon materials in our products, to providing our cus tomers with sustainable autonomous hauling solutions, we can contribute to a better and more sustainable future.”
Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said, “We will be working together to support the decarbonization of Rio Tinto’s operations and deliver low-carbon materials for use in Volvo’s innovative product range, including electric and autonomous vehicles.”
Click here to learn more about Rio Tinto and its supply of responsibly produced materials.
CMJ
Minerva worked closely with several key industry profes sionals to gain valuable boots-on-the-ground technical feed back. Changes were made to the underlying codebase that improve the cloud processing architecture, and internal pro cessing functions were overhauled. The result is a faster, more intuitive and reliable experience for users.
Driver’s proprietary geostatistical algorithm has increased significantly in speed and accuracy at which it automatically finds local 3D grade trends in unprocessed drilling informa tion under the new framework. In addition, the changes expand the potential applications of software to a wider range of mineral deposit styles at different stages of develop ment.
“Driver’s speed to initialize on large projects has signifi cantly improved as have its scaling procedures. Our interpo lation method is now approximately 25% faster, and complex wireframes can be uploaded and processed within the plat form in less than half the time it took before. Driver has now been successfully applied to many large and complex mineral deposits globally, and we will continue to concentrate on this user feedback,” said Minerva technical product owner Alex ander Wilson.
For further details, visit www.minervaintelligence.com. CMJ
EPIROC CANADA has partnered with ACE Services Mécaniques for parts and services in Quebec and Nunavut. The new partnership reinforces Epiroc Can ada’s commitment to strengthen its presence in these regions through stra tegic partnerships to expand its parts and service offerings.
“Quebec’s mining industry has been achieving sustained growth and Epiroc expects this trend will continue. Our objective is to continue supporting these operations, so they reach their productiv ity goals safely and efficiently,” Epiroc stated in a press release.
Epiroc will take advantage of ACE’s stellar reputation as a mechanical labour services supplier. That reputa tion complements Epiroc’s customer first approach and was a deciding factor in choosing ACE. No changes to ACE’s corporate structure are anticipated.
Andre Bertrand, Epiroc Canada’s business line manager for the parts and services division, said, “Quebec and Nunavut are important regions, and we continue to increase our presence in
these areas. Epiroc has already priori tized expanding our presence in the region through completing the strategic acquisitions of Fordia and Meglab, as well as our Epiroc branch in RouynNoranda (Cadillac).”
Steve Ethier, general director of ACE
Services, added, “… we are proud to lay the foundation for us being the corner stone of Epiroc’s aftermarket service in Abitibi and Nunavut.”
For more information, visit www.epiroc.com/en-ca. CMJ
Cyber threats are evolving and escalating at an alarming rate within the mining and metals and other asset-inten sive industries. Understanding the current cyber risk land scape and the threats that new technologies bring is crucial for planning reliable and resilient operations. From its geopolitical nature to the life-and-death consequences of operation system malfunctions, mining and metals companies are teeming with cyber vulnerabilities. Sophisticated criminals may be ready to hit a company’s reputation, health and safety protocols, envi ronmental stewardship, and profitability.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month which aims to bring heightened awareness to cybersecurity. In an age where threats are being unearthed every day, mining companies need to account for these four imperatives when thinking about cybersecurity within their operations.
1 Understanding risk appetite and risk tolerance and where your company stands Risk appetite is the amount of risk an organization is willing to accept to achieve its objectives. Risk tolerance is the accept able deviation from the organization’s risk appetite. More than one-third of Canadian organizations have not clearly articulated their cybersecurity risk. Defining the cyber risks that are most relevant for your particular organization and building consensus around what level of risk you’ll tolerate is the first step to effective planning. For the mining and metals industry, a seemingly small disruption – like a hacker shaking up your supply chain or stopping a critical dewatering pump –could have massive, high-profile or even life-altering impacts. You need to know where your risk lies to defend your organi zation well.
2 Bridging the divide between IT and OT to clarify the operating model and cyber risk between the two domains
The patters that work for the information technology (IT) team don’t always translate in the operational technology (OT) team. Although sometimes used synonymously, the two have differ ent cultures. When thinking of OT, especially at remote mining sites, teams are being measured on uptime, not necessarily security. The concept of security is built on the IT side. Chief information security officers (CISO) must not only ensure avail ability and reliability but also that the systems are secure when ever they are being operated. Bridging the culture divide will require CISOs to be able to translate the language of health and safety into cyber risk management. This bridge is important as environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices continue
to gain momentum, the need to secure OT assets that provide the frontline ESG data to make informed decisions will be par amount.
3 Making cybersecurity the connective thread between functional capabilities
Redrawing the organizational chart and making cybersecurity the connective thread between functional capabilities doesn’t only make your organization stronger. It can also support effi ciency, cut down costs and foster the kind of collaboration that speaks directly to internal and external calls for secure prod ucts, services and solutions.
Risk itself has changed. Findings from the EY Global Information Security Survey show more than 40% of leaders have never been as concerned as they are now about managing cyber threats the business faces. You can’t tackle that increase in disruptive risk without drawing better connections between functional teams.
4 Putting a team in place to deal with compliance and regulatory requirements
The overhead of trying to maintain and stay on top of different regulatory requirements and standards is the biggest hurdle most Canadian companies face. Seventy per cent of Canadian executives say navigating regulation will be time-consuming and expensive. Mining is global, companies need to think big ger than just Canada and to do so effectively and efficiently, dedicated teams will be needed. They can support organiza tions of the future to stay on top of compliance and regulatory requirements but also put in place a process to support with what updates they need, where to get them and how they trans late to their specific organization.
Disruptive forces mean that companies must understand how much risk they can safely take on. OT and IT must now come together to play broader roles at mining organizations. Operational and budgetary silos hold progress back as legacy risk frameworks require fresh thinking. Internal disconnects create gaps around the value that cybersecurity can bring. Having a dedicated team to keep up to date with compliance and regulatory requirements and support the CISOs to put them in place is crucial. We’re at a defining moment where CISOs can make a difference. CMJ
BRYSON TAN is an associate partner in the Cybersecurity Advisory Services at EY Canada. For more information visit www.ey.com/en_ca/mining-metals.
In the U.S., mines on public land, and some state lands, must put up a bond for the cost of the closure of a mine before con struction can start. This is meant to ensure that funds are avail able to reclaim the site if something happens and a company abandons a mine. Those bonds are periodically reviewed and revised as projects change and grow, or as parts of a project are reclaimed concurrent to operations.
Doing concurrent reclamation for a mine can be beneficial. It is assumed that the equipment and workforce are already on site and the reclamation progress can be easily, and inexpen sively, monitored. As parts of the mine have fulfilled their use fulness they can be reclaimed and with regulators’ approval, released from the bond. This helps the company save money on their bond or reapply it to a new area of the mine that is open to development. For example, a waste pile has been filled to capacity, an operator often chooses to reclaim it as equipment and labour is available, and then have that bond money released, while the mine is still in operation, and apply the bond to a future site for a new waste pile.
The following is an example of a small reclamation model that shows the cost of a bond that can be released. The model was created using Costmine’s Reclamation Cost Estimator. This example does not represent an actual closure project. The
Table 1. Summary of costs to reclaim mill pad.
Hours Cost
Equipment Backhoe 3 $227
Bulldozer 165 $21,084
Dozer operator 238 $9,772
Front-end loader 80 $9,919 Hammers 3 $99
Rear-dump truck 69 $5,450
Tractor 26 $1,573
Crew Supervisor 126 $6,212
Loader operator 100 $2,170 Labourers 161 $2,422
Tractor operator 31 $889 Truck driver 89 $2,558
Supplies Seed $1,028
TOTAL $63,403
Table 2. Summary of costs to reclaim waste pile.
Hours Cost
Equipment Bulldozer 34,596 $4,418,431
Dozer operator 49,811 $2,047,797
Front-end loader 261 $26,702
Mulcher 27 $102
Rear-dump truck 3,517 $180,173
Tractor 352 $21,546
Crew Supervisor 9,409 $462,218
Loader operator 352 $7,666
Tractor operator 468 $13,938
Laborers 43 $713
Supplies Mulch $35,227 Seed $16,961
TOTAL $7,231,474
model details the costs to remove an abandoned mill building on a two hectare mill pad and an associated waste rock pile. The waste rock pile is 100 meters by 100 meters and 50 meters high. There is a topsoil stockpile that is located 1.0 km from the waste pile and another 500 meters to the mill pad site.
The mill building is assumed to have already been decommis sioned and empty. The building is 50 meters by 50 meters and is 30 meters to the eaves and sits on a 16-cm-thick concrete foundation with rebar reinforcements. The area is a two hect are pad. The costs include removing the building and founda tion and then spreading topsoil on the pad and planting a seed mix that is specific to the site.
In this model, the waste pile will not need to be moved any where. The pile can be resloped and recontoured in place. This pile is assumed to be 500 meters by 500 meters and stacked 15 meters high. The four sides are sloped to 20°. There is a topsoil stockpile that is 1.0 km away from the stockpile at 2% gradient. The entire pile is capped with topsoil and seeded. In this model mulch was added to the slopes to reduce erosion and increase the seed capture.
Table 3 shows the costs broken down by process. This table shows that the biggest costs in this model came from moving the topsoil to the mill pad and the waste rock pile.
Reclaiming this small mill and waste pile has a total cost of approximately $7.3 million. If this site were held under a recla mation bond the mine could apply for release of that bond. The Reclamation Cost Calculator includes mobilization costs and administrative costs to estimate the bond cost. Those costs were not included in this model calculation. Including those costs, the bond for this project would have been $8.5 million. That bond money can now be reapplied to another area, or released to the company, depending on how that bond was held.
CMJ
This estimate was compiled using Costmine’s Reclamation Cost Estimator. Costmine publishes this software along with other mine cost estimating tools and software. (www.costmine.com)
Table 3. Total project cost summary.
Unit Processes Costs
Topsoil from stockpile to resloped waste pile $235,271
Topsoil to cover mill pad $8,248
Spread topsoil waste pile $3,187,825
Spread topsoil mill pad $32,958
Waste pile slope reduction $3,718,844
Seeding waste pile $50,686
Seeding mill pad $3,490
Waste pile soil amendment $38,850
Remove mill building $16,963
Remove foundation $1,743
TOTAL $7,294,878
National governments around the world have been debating significant changes to international tax rules that apply to multinational companies. Following a July 2021 announce ment by countries involved in negotiations at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), there was a further agreement last October, by more than 130 governments, on an outline for the new tax rules.
It seems clear that companies will, in the near future, pay more taxes in countries where they have customers and a bit less in countries where their headquarters, employees, and operations are. Additionally, the agreement sets up the adop tion of a global minimum tax of 15%, which would increase taxes on companies with earnings in low-tax jurisdictions.
Governments are now in the process of developing imple mentation plans and turning the agreement into law. Mining companies are now seeking to understand what it will all mean for them.
Corporate taxation is a pretty abstract topic. The new “global minimum effective tax” represents one of the biggest-ever reforms to international corporate tax rules. The reform blue print encompasses two “pillars” that aim to ensure all compa nies pay their fair share to help finance public goods.
The “first pillar” will ensure greater fairness in the allocation of taxing rights and tax revenue among the world’s countries. To stick with the pie metaphor, the first pillar is about who gets which piece of the pie. The new rules will ensure greater fair ness in the international allocation of tax revenue. Such rules are particularly important for the taxation of tech companies –for example, companies that can reap extremely high profits from internet sales or ad clicks even in countries where they have no factories or other branches. Under the current rules, taxes are payable primarily in the countries where firms have
a physical presence. This has to change. Companies should also pay taxes in the countries where they generate profits.
When large, multinational corporations end up paying very little tax because they can shift their profits to tax havens, this is unfair in the extreme: First, because money goes missing that is needed to pay for public goods such as schools, childcare facilities, hospitals, pensions, transport networks and well-kept streets. Second, because it is unacceptable when small busi nesses such as the local plumber or bookshop pay their taxes properly while wealthy corporations deploy tricks to save bil lions in taxes. This will now be put to a stop.
On 1 July 2021, a broad-based international agreement was reached by the members of the OECD’s inclusive framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), the body which has been working on this issue under the auspices of the OECD. This approach was approved by the finance ministers of the 20 lead ing advanced and emerging economies – the G20 – at their meeting in July 2021. However, some technical details remained open. These were successfully clarified at another meeting in October 2021. In addition, the participating countries agreed on a roadmap to implement the approved measures.
It has become crystal clear that the corporate tax rate will be 15%. No company will pay less than that in the end. The tax will apply to all companies that do business internationally and that generate annual revenues above €750 million. In future, multi national firms will have to pay a tax rate of 15% on all of the profits they make worldwide, regardless of where the profits are generated. Under current rules, corporate subsidiaries located in tax havens pay very little in taxes, which of course benefits the corporation as a whole. This will no longer be pos sible in future.
Various measures will be implemented to make sure that the
tax is actually paid. If, for example, profits earned by a group subsidiary located in a tax haven are taxed at an effective rate of only 5%, then the new rules will come into play.
With a new tax rate of 15%, the country where the parent company is based will have the right to charge an additional 10% in taxes on the subsid iary’s profits. This will ensure that even those profits located in the tax haven are ultimately subject to an effective tax rate of 15%.
Continuing with the example cited above, let us say that some of the group’s rights are held by a subsidiary located in a tax haven. The subsidiary then receives regular royalty pay ments from other group companies located in countries with high tax rates. This allows the companies in high-tax countries to lower their profits, because they can deduct the royalties as business expenses. Tricks like this will no longer be possible in the future. Royalty payments will no longer be fully deductible expenses in a company’s home coun
try if they are paid to a company based in a tax haven. This too will ensure effective taxation at no lower than the global mini mum rate.
Critics have complained that some companies will still be able to use clever accounting methods to circumvent the rules and avoid paying taxes in countries where they make profits. This is not true. Steps are being taken to ensure that companies cannot use accounting tricks to avoid paying taxes. That is pre cisely what the new rules are designed to prevent.
Where necessary, tax authorities will look at a corporate group’s various business lines and assess their profitability sep arately. (This is referred to as “segmentation”). For example, authorities can focus on the highly profitable platform busi nesses of individual groups and treat the profits earned on these platforms as the tax base. It will not be possible to offset these profits against other business lines.
Recent media reports have highlighted the fact that some highly wealthy tech company owners pay less than five per cent in taxes. This shows all the more how important it is for these firms to pay their fair share towards the financing of public goods. Newspaper editors, elected officials, and other opinion-shapers increasingly argue that it is unacceptable for mining firms to earn huge profits from dividends, capital gains and bonuses – while the general public goes emptyhanded. CMJ
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Tax authorities will look at a corporate group’s various business lines and assess their profitability separately, and this is referred to as “segmentation”.
Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) is striving to become a key contributor to the sustainable energy revolution. The company is developing a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material in Quebec for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets. With low-cost operations and rigorous ESG standards, NMG is on its way to become a strategic supplier to the world’s lead ing battery and automobile manufacturers, providing high-per forming and reliable advanced materials while promoting sustainability and supply chain traceability.
NMG’s turnkey natural graphite operation has competitive advantages because of its convenient location, vertical integra tion, cost structure, ESG credentials, and experienced team.
The company’s phase-2 Matawinie mine and Bécancour bat tery material plant projects, located within a 150-km radius of Montreal, show attractive economics and robust operational parameters underpinned by a large mineral property, NMG’s proprietary technologies, and clean hydroelectricity powering its operations.
Vertical integration is a strategy that allows a company to streamline its operations by taking direct ownership of various
shared
local
robust governance
the project and
with the community to
the
stages of its production process rather than relying on external contractors or suppliers. Recently, I caught up with Eric Desaul niers, founder, president, and CEO of NMG to get insight into the company’s strategy for vertical integration and how NMG plans to become a Canadian model for sustainability.
Nouveau Monde Graphite’s business plan is in line with the United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals”:
CMJ: To start our conversation, can you please talk briefly about your journey to become the CEO of NMG?
ED: I am a geophysicist by training, so I am a geologist who did not like geology. I first started working after my master’s degree in 2006, for a large airborne geophysical company in Ottawa, called Sander Geophysics, from 2006 to 2011. In 2009, I also started my geophysical airborne company doing airborne surveys measuring the connectivity of the ground. In 2011, I stopped working for Sander Geophysics to focus on my com pany. The idea was to explore untapped territories using a new technology. My partner was the owner of the helicopter, and I was taking care of all the data processing. Then, I became CEO by incorporating the company, and it started from there.
CMJ: You only began exploring in 2012, correct? What was the earlier history of the project? Was it a new exploration?
ED: Yes, correct, and it is a new exploration. There was no his tory of exploration in the same area where we discovered the deposit. The idea was to explore with airborne geophysics a very large territory, and we were doing a line every one kilo meter. We covered thousands of square kilometers of untapped territories to directly detect conductors with the system. When there was a conductive material in the ground, we sent our geologists to do the hard work from 2012 to 2015. we drilled a little bit (over 20 different anomalies) until we made this dis covery in 2015.
CMJ: Environmental hurdles and navigating bureaucracy have made it challenging to manufacture batteries in Canada. However, Quebec released the Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals in 2020 to move rapidly to support the right development proposals and has earmarked billions for that purpose. The federal government claims to favour a “partnership orientation.” What was your experience with both levels of government?
ED: Both levels of government were very supportive. The Que bec government is our second largest shareholder, so they have a financial commitment to the project, which is very helpful. Although the permitting process is still bureaucratic, the autho rization of the Matawinie graphite mine by the Quebec govern ment following a rigorous environmental review and public consultation was still a very good process compared to the rest of Canada.
Overall, it went very well on the Quebec side and the permit ting process was relatively smooth. And the next important step is the commitment from the government to the supply chain. The minister of economy is very knowledgeable of all the sup ply chains; he is meeting with potential customers in Europe and Asia to understand how to position Quebec into this mar ket. Having that mindset at the top level is very important. The federal government was also very helpful. We started up by financial support from the federal government’s R&D financ ing. The federal government of Canada has supported two of our projects to commercialize the technology.
Now, we are negotiating with Export Development Canada (EDC) to finance our commercial project and exploring oppor tunities with the government’s Strategic Innovation Fund that
focuses on the green econ omy and decarbonization. This is a good way to demonstrate that the fed eral government can be helpful from the conceiv ing of the idea all the way to commercializing and build ing the large-scale project. Obviously, building a sup ply chain for battery metals is a new concept for every body, but there are differ ent programs that support us along that journey. Both governments are doing their best to make it hap pen, which is very good.
CMJ: Can we say that you are leading the way for this technology in Canada, and you will be the model for anyone doing the same kind of business on batteries in the future?
ED: Yes, we are the most advanced battery material project in Canada. We are building a business model around our vision for a cleaner future. We went all the way from being a penny stock exploration, grassroot project that made a discovery to making the transformation plant. We invested over $75 million in the transformation plant. Now, we are very close to the full project financing and building the plant.
CMJ: NMG is developing a turnkey natural graphite operation with competitive advantages due to its key location, vertical integration, cost structure, ESG credentials, and experienced team. Can you please explain how NMG is adopting a route to sustainability by offsetting the potential impact on the environment? How are you going to adopt an all-electric operation in the manufacturing and mining facilities?
ED: Mining is an energy-intensive industry, and this is a key topic for our competitiveness. It is really the fact we can build the full vertical in a very short radius. Other jurisdictions have great graphite deposit, namely in Southern Africa, Brazil, China, and India, but you cannot find both together at the same place other than here.
We have everything within a radius of 150 km; we have a great graphite deposit with the best you can dream in terms of location and size of the deposit. You can have a very attrac tive mining project, but to transform the product all the way to the final material needed by using the infrastructure in place, affordable and clean hydropower, all the chemical reagents needed, and skilled labour. We are also fortunate to have sev eral universities, so we can recruit PhD and experienced engi neers. It is our job to commercialize at a large scale, which is not something that we were asked to do in the past when all bat teries were made in Asia. NMG is projected to be North Ameri ca’s largest and only fully vertically integrated natural graphite operation, favourably positioned to provide a localized and
carbon-neutral alternative to Chinese supply for the Western World’s battery and automobile manufacturers. Having all the components needed is something unique to Canada.
ESG is in our DNA, in 2021, our team gathered for a spe cial two-day event dedicated to ESG. Under the theme of sus tainable development, we talked about our business strategy, self-achievement, ESG concepts, and the history of First Nations.
The clean energy revolution is accelerating. For the transition to clean energy to be sustainable, the world needs ESG-minded investments to develop clean energy solutions. For NMG, it is a clear differentiator from what our competitors in China are doing.
At NMG, we set our minds on sustainability from the onset, and we acknowledged the responsibility of developing a non-re newable resource. We recognized the immense opportunity of having access to abundant, affordable, and clean hydropower. In 2017, we committed to building the world’s first all-electric fleet for an open pit mine. In June 2021, we signed an agreement with Caterpillar for the development, testing, and production of Cat “zero-emission machines” for our Matawinie graphite mine. This future fleet will be supported by a dedicated hydroelectric ity power line.
When fully operational, our fleet should result in approxi mately 85% less direct GHG emissions from our mining oper ations.
Combined with our ecotechnologies for value-added transfor mation of our graphite concentrate, the adoption of all-electric operations enables us to bring to market anode material with a 50x-smaller greenhouse gas footprint than common spheri cal graphite and 14x-smaller carbon footprint over the product lifecycle compared to the Chinese supplier of natural graphite. Hurdles to implement do exist, but they should not stand in the way of modernizing mining fleets. Going electric means signif icant upfront costs but also considerable operational cost sav ings and environmental and social benefits down the road.
CMJ: Since you have a vertical integrated operation, can you give us an idea on the Bécancour battery material plant? Do you have existing off-take agreements? Are you in the future thinking of other investments?
ED: For graphite to be used as anode material, three benefici ation steps are required to reach the optimal properties and performance: shaping, purification, and coating. NMG plans to leverage its access to the large, high-purity Matawinie graph ite deposit as feedstock for its value-added transformation activities, hence capitalizing on operational efficiency, product traceability, and greater margins from its vertically integrated business model. Our proposed advanced manufacturing opera tions is in Bécancour, Que., approximately 150 km northeast of Montreal, by the St Lawrence River. The robust local infrastruc ture provides us with direct supply of required chemicals in addition to affordable hydroelectricity, skilled workforce, and a multi-modal logistical base that includes a major international port in proximity to U.S. and European markets.
Continued commercial engagement with potential tier-1 cus tomers in the EV and battery sector supported by production at NMG’s phase-1 operations and participation to key forums ded icated to advanced battery technology. Admission to the Global Battery Alliance, a World Economic Forum’s initiative regroup
ing leading players of the industry for helping establish a circu lar and sustainable battery value chain.
In 2021, we made considerable progress with respect to the battery material plant project. Our shaping unit continued to pro duce spherical graphite to support qualification with potential customers and further testing to optimize our processes. Success ful results in this regard have led us to purchase another com mercial-scale module, hence tripling our production capability. In 2020, we announced a five-year agreement with Olin Corpo ration which covers the manufacturing space for our phase-1 purification operations, site services, and the supply of certain raw materials to support the commercialization of our advanced graphite materials. NMG’s first two commercial-scale purifica tion modules were successfully constructed and commissioned this year within existing space at Olin’s Bécancour, Que., facility.
Europe constitutes a prime market for the battery segment due to its booming EV industry, strict environmental regula tions, and infrastructure development programs supporting electrification. With commercial discussions intensifying with European automakers for NMG’s battery anode material, we opened a London-based sales office in 2020 to readily respond to the growing enquiries from local customers and stakehold ers. Samples have been and continue to be provided to potential customers as part of sales discussions.
In addition, we have already entered into a binding off-take and joint marketing agreement with Traxys for flake graphite concentrate from the Matawinie graphite mine. Traxys markets flake graphite concentrates from our phase-1 operation for cus tomer product prequalification purposes. Traxys will have the exclusive right to market, distribute, and resell the flake graph ite products to its customer base.
We achieved critical milestones in developing our vertical strategy through the advancement of our phase-1 facilities, the permitting and engineering of our phase-2 operations, the com mencement of early construction work at our Matawinie mine, our commercial discussions with tier-1 battery and EV man ufacturers, our listing on the world’s largest stock exchange, and strategic financing rounds. Strong in our integrated value chain, our technical marketing team, the production of hun dreds of tonnes of samples – in a variety of specs – and the desir able environmental footprint of our product portfolio, we are positioning NMG at the forefront of the Western World’s nat ural graphite anode material production. Finally, last July, we
announced the initial closing of the previously announced investment agreement between NMG and Mason Graphite to explore the development and operation of Mason Graphite’s Lac Guéret property in Quebec.
The agreement provides an opportunity to NMG and Mason Graphite to form a joint venture, where Mason Graphite would grant an option to NMG to acquire a 51% interest in the mine and its related assets.
CMJ: You participated on our panel discussion during PDAC 2022, that highlighted the lack of the right skills and labour shortages in the battery production sector among other aggravating factors such as slow-moving regulatory bodies and economic climate. How do you plan to deal with the skilled labour shortage in the battery manufacturing?
ED: My main point in the discussion was to make sure every body understands that we are not making only one revolution, but two revolutions at the same time. The first is making every thing electric, which triggers new construction projects with investments needed to finance those projects. The second revo lution is the decision to manufacture everything in Canada. We do not want to rely on Asia and the 1.2 billion people in China.
The 38 million people in Canada need to make it happen. I hope our government understands that we need to attract the expertise. We need to accelerate the immigration path for the experts we hire from across the world. We cannot wait two years to have an expert if we need to begin production in two years.
I hope the government learned lessons from the pandemic and the problems of the supply chains that were caused by it. We need to bring a lot of manufacturing back to North America rather than relying on Asia, and what is better than manufac turing batteries that would help reach the net-zero emissions?
kamekw in the development of our mining project.
In 2018, we signed a framework agreement, followed by a pre-development agreement in 2019 with the Atikamekw First Nation. We are progressing the impact and benefit agreement for the commercial phase of our mining project to maximize opportunities.
The Bécancour battery material plant is located on Ndak inna, the traditional Abenaki Indigenous territory, 5 km from the Wôlinak First Nation reserve. We are committed to engaging with the Wôlinak First Nation to learn about its heritage, inter ests, and culture, and to foster a mutually beneficial relationship.
First Nations’ communities have amazingly young population. So, we favor local training, employment, and procurement, as we want to help bolster the region’s socioeconomic fabric. CMJ
ED
: We are committed to maintaining a collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship with our local communities and First Nations. Continued engagement with our communi ties, First Nations, shareholders, and stakeholders guides our growth and creates shared value. We have been actively engag ing with the local community and the Atikamekw First Nation in our feasibility study. We also regard diversity as an import ant driver of strategy, creative thinking, and business perfor mance. So, we promote local and First Nations recruitment opportunities to maximize benefits within our communities and ensure representation of our Indigenous Peoples.
Partnership with Indigenous Peoples is essential to the devel opment of our sustainable business practices. NMG is committed to maintaining and enhancing our understanding of Indige nous perspectives, traditions, and knowledge while developing constructive and mutually beneficial mechanisms for collabo ration. The Matawinie graphite mine is located on the munic ipal territory of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, situated in the large traditional Atikamekw Indigenous region, the Nitaskinan. The mining site is located 85 km from the Manawan First Nation community. We have consulted and continue to engage with the Atikamekw First Nation in the Manawan community and with the Band Council through the Conseil de la Nation Ati
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There are only three gold mines in production in the Mar itimes: Ming copper-gold and Point Rousse gold mines in Newfoundland and Touquoy gold mine in Nova Scotia. In this article, the key facts about each of the three mines are dis cussed along with the most recent updates.
Ownership
Development
Work
Commodities
Since 2004, under Rambler’s direction, the mine’s mineral resource base has quadrupled in size with further potential to grow. Rambler’s goal is to replace depleted mineral reserves each year while optimizing its growing mineral resource and reserve base. On April 4, 2022, Elemental Royalties announced it had completed a gold purchase and sale agreement (the “Ming Gold Stream”) with Rambler Metals and Mining Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rambler Metals and Mining PLC, the owner of the Ming copper-gold mine in Newfoundland. Elemental will receive 50% of payable gold production from Ming until 10,000 oz. are delivered when the stream steps down to 35% of payable gold production and then 25% once 15,000 oz. are delivered.
Elemental received its first deliveries of 408 oz. of gold from the Ming gold stream after June 30, 2022. This translates to a gross value of approximately US$734,000 at a US$1,800/oz. gold price.
Development
Work
Location
Commodities
Primary Commodity
Processing
Production
Baie Verte Peninsula,
Grinding, cyanidation,
leach tank, Merrill-Crowe,
Signal Gold exploration programs at Point Rousse continue to identify new areas of exploration potential. The company announced recent exploration drill results from Point Rousse operation in the Baie Verte mining district of Newfoundland. The diamond drill program included 4,222 metres in 29 holes testing five main exploration targets. Holes at the Corkscrew and Big Bear targets continue to demonstrate the presence of a strong gold mineralized system within the Goldenville trend, building on the previous results. The company also completed and received data for a total of 90.1-line km of induced polar ization (IP) ground geophysical surveys on three grid areas, Corkscrew-Big Bear, Animal Pond and Goldenville, outlining several new targets for follow-up drill testing.
Selected composited highlights from the exploration pro gram include the following:
> 0.91 g/t gold over 17.0 metres (54.0 to 71.0 metres) including 5.18 g/t gold over 1.0 metre in hole CS-21-005.
> 1.49 g/t gold over 3.8 metres (134.2 to 138.0 metres) in hole BB-22-003.
> 0.81 g/t gold over 4.9 metres (42.4 to 47.3 metres) in hole AP-21-011.
> 4.09 g/t gold over 1.0 metre (52.0 to 53.0 metres) in hole AP-21-010.
KEY FACTS
St Barbara
Operator Atlantic Mining Nova Scotia: part of the Moose River consolidated mine
Development Status Production
Work Type Open pit
Nova Scotia
Commodities Gold
Primary Commodity Gold
Processing technology Grinding, gravity concentration and froth flotation
Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSECC) has issued the final conditions for the industrial approval to allow for the tailings management facility (TMF) lift enabling construction to commence in the coming weeks. The capital cost for the tailings lift is $5.4 million and will extend the life of the Touquoy operation until the end of 2023.
St Barbara’s Atlantic operations team and the company’s recent interactions with key stakeholders in Nova Scotia improved the co-ordination and communication with the Nova Scotian government and the Canadian federal government. The new collaborative approach with the government helped with the delivery of the permit.
The TMF lift should provide sufficient time for the company to work with the provincial government to resolve NSECC’s queries on the environmental assessment for in-pit tailings deposition. Upon receipt of the in-pit tailings deposition permit, the Touquoy site will have sufficient tailings capacity to support the compa ny’s longer term Atlantic plan, which is also proposed to include Beaver Dam and Fifteen Mile Stream projects. CMJ
Social performance is one of those terms that some peo ple understand and feel comfortable with and others have never even heard of. There is not a clear definition of social performance, but it is generally used to refer to how an organization, usually a company, is engaging with, managing the impacts on, and sharing benefits with society.
Over the past decade, there has been a big push for compa nies to regularly share information about their social perfor mance. And despite an enormous amount of information being collected and reported, stakeholders do not feel that that social performance disclosures are answering the right questions and adequately measuring social performance. This leaves users of social performance disclosures, including investors, civil soci ety, and communities, to make decisions based on a subjective interpretation of the available information.
Members of the Devonshire Initiative recognized this issue and led a study to investigate from a multi-stakeholder perspec tive why current disclosures are not adequately providing insight on a company’s social performance, with a focus on community well-being and the quality of the relationships between company and communities. The study included a liter ature review and interviews with 15 individuals from different stakeholder groups.
The study highlighted a few general themes. First, we are col lectively moving towards a world of open data and transpar ency that will require additional resources and systems change to be effective. Second, this is a quickly maturing field. There are several opportunities to improve efficiency and accessibil ity of social performance disclosures and contribute to better communication, accountability, and trust in the mining sector. And third, the ground swell of interest from the investor com munity in ESG data is still focused on environmental disclo sures (particularly as it relates to climate change) and diversity and inclusion data, as opposed to social performance. In addi tion to these general themes, the study identified a few findings that fall into the following five categories:
> Purpose. There is widespread agreement that social perfor mance disclosures are important because they provide evi dence that a company is managing risks to the business (as opposed to risk to communities).
> Audience. Investors are currently the main audience for cor porate level disclosures. They are important; however, there is a great opportunity to collaborate with local stakeholders, civil society organizations, and governments at the local and national level to repurpose current disclosures and define new ones.
> Content. There are no consistent or agreed upon metrics for social performance disclosure. As a result, we use a series of proxies that require context and expertise to understand. Disclosures often focus on positive evidence and stories, as well as emphasizing efforts (inputs and activities) rather than evi dence of effectiveness. There is an opportunity to provide more information about impacts or outcomes, mine site level data and the quality of the relationship between companies and local stakeholders (e.g., trust).
> Timing and accessibility. The timing and location of social performance disclosures contribute to a sense of complexity and perception of bias. The timing of disclosures devalues the data and information because it is not current.
> Methodology. The process of designing, collecting, analyz ing, and reporting on social performance sits within company control, which leads to a perception of bias amongst some stakeholders. There is an opportunity to use participatory or collaborative monitoring to increase trust and provide bal anced information.
It can feel a bit overwhelming to see the amount of energy and effort that goes into disclosures and realize it does not have the desired impact. But we can look at these findings with opti mism! The study shows that there is a solid foundation that we can build on to make sure disclosures answer the right ques tions, measure social performance effectively, and meet users changing needs and expectations. You can read more about the study and some ideas that respondents had for the future on our website at www.devonshireintiative.org. This report is pub lic to encourage companies and users of social performance disclosures to use and reference the findings. Society’s interest in data and accountability will continue to grow and it is in our collective best interest to align on the purpose, content, timing, and accessibility and methodology of disclosures. CMJ
CAROLYN BURNS is executive director of the Devonshire Initiative. The Devonshire Initiative is a multi-stakeholder forum focused on improving development outcomes in the mining context.
(environmental, social, and governance) and the issues it embraces will not be new to the mining industry even though the term might be unfamiliar to some, despite ESG issues being first mentioned in the 2006 United Nation’s Principles for Respon sible Investment (PRI) report. At that time, 63 investment com panies composed of asset owners, asset managers and service providers signed with US$6.5 trillion in assets under manage ment (AUM) incorporating ESG issues. As of June 2019, there were 2450 signatories representing over US$80 trillion in AUM and growing, with a significant jump in AUM for ESG-centric products, particularly in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The roots of ESG go back further to the 1960s when socially responsible investing (SRI) was originally introduced because of those who were opposed to the Vietnam War.
Miners have long grappled with matters related to the “green” or sustainability agenda, but ESG now brings together all these themes in a comprehensive framework that can help a mining company or the supporters and investors in mining projects navigate and balance the benefits to the planet, peo ple, and profit successfully.
ESG initially came to the forefront primarily through socially conscious and institutional investors demanding increased attention on environmental, social and governance-related matters and data. Investors have been interested in the ESG performance of companies (not only mining companies) for some time. This focus has increased in recent years as ESG is seen as a way of mitigating risks and identifying new opportu nities. This has been somewhat catalyzed because of the Covid19 pandemic. For example, Morgan Stanley reports that there has been a 14% increase in investor interest in sustainability strategies in just the last four years. Companies looking for investment are seeing the benefit of good sustainability ratings in that they can attract more investment. In 2021, The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 450 institutional investors in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific to gauge whether the ship is finally beginning to turn. “Three-quarters of investors agreed that the pandemic has accelerated their interest in ESG and, unsurprisingly, inflows into sustainable investments are expected to continue gathering pace,” stated Suni Harford pres ident, UBS Asset Management, in a foreword to “UBS Asset
Management’s Resetting the Agenda. How ESG is shaping our future.” Investments are expected to continue gathering pace in the next three to five years.
Investors are increasingly looking beyond financial state ments and now want to consider the ethics, competitive advantage, and culture of a mining organisation. They are increasingly integrating ESG factors when investing and pro posing new standards and frameworks against which mining investments should be measured.
ESG attempts to reconcile the inescapable and inconvenient truth that mining and metals are pivotally important to our modern lives. It becomes more so as we drive the agenda of greening our lives and tackle the very real issue of global cli mate change and the legacy of harm done to the planet in the name of technological advances made since man first discov ered that metal tools were far more effective than stone tools. Green technologies depend on industrial and rare earth ele ments used in batteries, turbines, and electric vehicles (EVs) to name but a few.
Modern industry relies on raw materials, so if it is not grown, it must be mined, the question remains how to undertake the task in as socially responsible and environmentally sustainable way that addresses the demands of the industry today and ensures a transition benefitting generations to come.
As technologies have advanced, we are now using a much broader suite of metals than even a few decades ago: there are now approximately 60 elements (two thirds of the periodic table) that are vital to modern society. While great advances in cleaner technologies and approaches to mining have had
positive effect to minimizing harm and adding societal value in recent times, there remains a real disconnect in society about where metals come from and their intrinsic value to a greener world along the strides taken in making it a safer, cleaner and greener activity.
Against this background, it can be difficult for mining com panies to navigate what is important and how it should be reported. For each mine this may vary, and a first step will always be to identify the most salient risks and opportunities. To illustrate, the following core subjects are covered by the ESG agenda for the mining industry:
> Environment: tackles questions like do we understand our exposure to climate change related transition; are we cap turing all the operational improvements related to a low carbon transition; do we understand the risks or opportuni ties to biodiversity, ecosystem services, water, mine waste and/or tailings, air, noise, energy and make to use of a natu ral capital framework to enhance opportunities impacting our effects on climate change (carbon footprint, greenhouse gas), hazardous substances, or mine closure.
> Social: asks whether we have considered our risks through a human rights lens; or are we contributing to shared value and measuring our positive impacts on people and planet; and how can we improve labour and working conditions? These together impact plans to address human rights, land use, resettlement, make provision for vulnerable people, gender, labour practices, worker and/or community health and safety, and security, makes room for competing interest
of artisanal miners, or address mine closure and the atten dant after use potential.
>
Governance: asks do we have appropriate governance, oversight and manage systems in place to tackle legal com pliance, ethics, anti-bribery and corruption (ABC), and transparency; it asks whether we are exposed to supply chain risks; and challenges whether we have business ethics policies that support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Within this, mining companies need to consider whether there are environmental, social or governance risks that may affect their ability to: raise capital; obtain permits; work with communities, regulators, and NGOs; and/or protect their assets from impairments.
With reference to the destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge cave site in Western Australia, it is clear that this reputational, cultural and social performance disaster came about through a colossal failure of governance. It is arguably to ESG as significant a source of wake-up calls and lessons as Bre-X was to resource and reserve reporting in the 1990s and the Brumadinho tailings dam disaster was in 2019 for tailings facilities. There were hard lessons for mine companies to learn around trust and living up to their own policies and standards, rather than just falling back on doing the minimum that is legal.
ESG, with its roots founded in sustainability and corporate social responsibility, is not new and has been around for decades now. Environmental, social and governance issues seldomly fall exclusively into one bucket. They are intercon nected much like a cable or intertwined rope to demonstrate with interconnectedness between the disciplines.
Fortunately, ESG solutions do not have to be complicated, but they do need to be right for a business and its objectives, and once set out and agreed with stakeholders, follow through is crucial, and it must be implemented and be auditable.
Many mining and minerals businesses are already taking active steps on their ESG agenda, identifying their priorities
However, with growth in the interest in ESG, there is a growing recognition that there is a lack of accessible data to inform opinions and decisions. The need is for more data that is accessible at the right level of detail. Investors can only reward solid ESG performance if there is access to the right information to inform those assessments. It is not helped by the plethora of sustainability reporting frameworks that attempt to address the disparities.
The frameworks are many and often daunting, add to which these are voluntary frameworks that do not always ask the right questions lending themselves a risk of “green washing” performance. Fortunately, organizations like the MAC, ICMM, CRIRSCO, and others are challenging approaches and what con stitutes sensible guidance and those competent to advise on issues.
No matter where one is on the ESG journey, a pragmatic business-focused approach is needed to quickly identify value and impact and develop programs that both exceed stake holder expectations and drive quantifiable returns. This includes recognizing and unlocking the ESG value already present within an organization. Focus is on primary risks and most accessible opportunities first, then work with a compa ny’s own team to build an ESG strategy and program tai lor-made for that business.
A tiered approach works best to understanding the assets that are most critical to a business and to identify their exposure to the physical risks associated with a changing climate, for example, and where the key transition risks and opportunities lie. Then leverage technical expertise to propose practical strategies and actions to mitigate those risks, and to align reporting to the investor recognized frameworks. This will include those like the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) or the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and upcoming reporting requirements and best recognized voluntary frameworks like the newly launched Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). CMJ
The mining industry is undergoing a deep transformation as it works towards ambitious goals of reduc ing its environmental impact. With it, there is a big opportunity for change. While there are many bold goals and commitments towards decarbonization, there are also a lot of challenges on the best path forward. There is also a grow ing pressure for mining companies to reduce emissions and costs, all without sacrificing productivity.
The energy transition – the process of moving away from high carbon fuels – is the number one factor driving change for the mining industry. Mining is proba bly the most vital sector to the global energy transition, since many low or no emissions technology advancements rely on mined metals and minerals. Smart mining practices are indeed becoming more widespread, and they are making strides to decrease the negative impacts mining has on the environment and the communities in which they operate. Many mining companies are starting to partner with local communities, adopt ing sustainable practices while engaging with communities to develop new busi ness and training opportunities. Social governance, Indigenous relations, com munity involvement, and better trans parency will play a huge role in the path forward for mining companies and will be required for continued licence to operate. But some argue it is not happen ing fast enough, and that more needs to be done.
With rising carbon taxes and evolving regulatory requirements, mining compa nies need support in understanding their
overall environmental footprint and the fastest way to help get them to their emis sions goals. So, how do you plan for and invest in long-term solutions while stay ing productive and profitable in the short term? It starts by partnering with the right dealer. One who understands your needs and can support you on your unique journey.
With the right advice and guidance, companies can explore and invest in new technologies for the future and even start to improve efficiencies, source lower car bon solutions, and use renewable energy.
The idea of a fully electric mine may sound like the distant future, but it is closer than you might think. As mining companies continue to look for smart solutions to incorporate alternative fuels into operations, reducing emission levels on mine sites through electrification will soon be a reality. But converting to elec tric machines is not without its challenges. To start, you need to have the right power. The power required to charge an electric 300-tonne-plus haul truck is substantial, not to mention a whole fleet of them. It also needs to be reliable. If your goal is to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emis sions, power needs to be sourced from renewable energy sources. And if you do not have the right power, the investment needed for charging stations, trolley lines, electricity storage, or co-generation can be significant.
Even if the path to electrification is not necessarily a straight line, electric equip ment is poised to eventually replace die sel-powered machines. Original equip
ment manufacturers are working quickly to develop large battery-powered mining trucks to facilitate the trajectory of low-emissions mining. These machines, many of which will be ready by 2029, will play a considerable role in reaching netzero goals. This means the time to map out your plan is now, and you can start by finding the right partner who can show you what your electrification jour ney looks like and what the best path is for your organization. Maybe you start with one machine, testing and trialing it on your site, and slowly working your way up to a larger fleet. For other sites it may be a more complex and lengthy pro cess that involves a complete overhaul of existing infrastructure. Every company’s journey to electrification is unique.
Electrification is poised to significantly contribute to emissions reductions, but it is not the only path, as some are explor ing the benefits of switching to alterna tive fuels. There are several options being trialed, like compressed natural gas, liq uid natural gas, dual fuel dynamic gas blending, and biofuels. Each has their strengths and drawbacks and may play a larger role in the future. How much is hard to say, since we are still relatively early on in this journey.
Using technology and data to track emissions
Rapidly evolving technology providing data and insights can help mines adapt to a changing industry and create an agile environment that is constantly learning and improving at every stage. With more data and information, mines can utilize those tools to make decisions to reduce the emissions of its operation. Adopting
technology, especially on large sites in remote areas, can be a complex task. To be effective, a significant investment needs to be made on change management as for many companies this digital evolu tion will mean a change to how employ ees do the work. Consolidating historical systems, tools, and sources of data is also a big endeavour. When done correctly, bringing together data and analytics can offer huge benefits around productivity and sustainability. Optimizing perfor mance through data can unleash the potential for huge productivity and emis sions improvements, maximizing equip ment usage, eliminating unnecessary hauling, reducing component failures, and even in efficient mines, can help reduce cost per tonne.
Operational optimization and predic tive maintenance are more urgent than ever, and the need to improve energy effi ciency and reduce CO2 emissions are equally as important. As provincial and federal regulations continue to expand, the mining industry is increasingly under a microscope. Connecting equipment to telematics not only helps in the collection of equipment data and monitor machines, but it can help to predict failures and gather real-time intel around machine health and condition, tracking equipment hours, usage, and emissions. By tracking emissions and analyzing the data, it can help to change and shape operator behaviour, thus quickly addressing issues and ensuring operators are properly trained. Reports and alerts can also high light how the machine is being operated, and track speeding, unnecessary accelera
tion, and other environmentally harmful activities that burn up fuel.
Contributing to a circular economy Equipment dealers and manufacturers are helping customers meet their envi ronmental and energy transition goals through advancements in technology. Customized maintenance programs mean scheduling repairs at times conve nient for the operation, helping to increase machines availability. Changing out components before they fail or re-us ing the worn-out parts can also offer sub stantial savings and reduce waste.
Rebuilds are another way mining com panies can make a meaningful impact. It is helping companies optimize their fleet by extending the life of their assets. This solution involves rebuilding machines and end of life components, reducing overall waste, and minimizing the use of raw materials needed to produce new parts. Equipment can be completely rebuilt multiple times and to their legacy tier emission standard or a higher tier emission standard. This helps mining companies keep equipment longer, reduce waste and recycle metals from old parts and keep non-renewable resources out of the landfill while reduc ing equipment costs.
This idea of a circular economy can help mines eliminate waste and pollu tion, and like other solutions available, the process is unique to every company. For some, it may involve rebuilding exist ing equipment to maximize its lifespan, and for others who are further along in their journey, it could mean reducing
waste, optimizing water usage, integrat ing a renewable energy source, or regen erating closed mines.
A demand to move to cleaner technolo gies has led to an increased need for the minerals and metals needed to manufac ture these products. In its 2021 report, Fostering Effective Energy Transition, the World Economic Forum explains: “The production of minerals such as graphite, lithium, and cobalt could increase by nearly 500% by 2050 to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies.” Mining for these materials in an unsus tainable way can cause further environ mental damage. There needs to be better efforts to help incentivise higher environ mental and social performance.
When ESG is done well, it can help drive local supply chains, contribute to the growth of local communities, and even help in the restoration of biodiver sity. It involves approaching challenges in new ways: converting to circular busi ness models, reviewing investment port folios to ensure they support cli mate-friendly initiatives, and ensuring partners, suppliers and customers are on board with the approach. The next few years will be pivotal for creating sustain able operations and minimizing the industry’s environmental footprint. The path forward involves constant change, adaptation and learning. There is no sil ver bullet that magically gets us from where we stand today to where we need to go. As a country and a global commu nity, we have a challenging path ahead of us to meet the bold goals of where we want to be in 2050. For companies to move through this energy transition suc cessfully, they must look at a range of solutions such as electrification of fleets, alternative fuels, telematics tracking, rebuilds, a commitment to building bet ter mining communities, and an overall desire to do better.
The right equipment and technology partner can help support this transition, offering a vast range of community, opera tional, and technology implementation expertise. When you build the right net work of suppliers and partners, sharing information and developing new ways of working together, you can better position your mining business to be at the forefront of the energy transition.
CMJ
Cheryl Gray is Finning’s vice-president of mining and a certified management accountant in Alberta.
Asurvey by the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) found that climate change remains a serious issue if Canada is to achieve its climate goals. There is a strong belief that the government should invest in a mix of renewable and nuclear energy projects.
The federal government released its small mod ular nuclear reactors (SMR) action plan in December 2020. It explains Ottawa’s role in advancing this technology.
Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan, said in a statement, “Small modular reactors represent the next great opportunity for Canada … to phase out coal and electrify car bon-intensive industries such as mining.” SMRs are an attractive option for the replacement of fossil plants or for complement ing existing industrial processes or power plants with an energy source that does not emit greenhouse gases. Deployment of advanced SMRs can help drive Canada’s economic growth.
Since 2014, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation has been pro gressing its plans to deploy Canada’s first SMR: a micro mod ular reactor (MMR). With a joint venture formed and a project host agreement in place to site a reactor at Chalk River laborato ries in Ontario, USNC-Power expects the country’s first commer cial MMR to be operational in 2027.
A few weeks ago, I interviewed Ken Darlington, vice-presi dent of corporate development with USNC-Power to talk about the recent developments in SMR technology and the company’s MMR.
CMJ: Let us start our conversation by talking a bit about Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation? What is the difference between Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and USNC-Power and what is your role at USNC-Power?
KD: Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation is the parent company: a Seattle-based global leader in the deployment of micro reac tors with its Canadian operations (USNC-Power) headquartered in Ottawa, Ont. Ultra Safe Nuclear is an integrator of nuclear power technologies, committed to bringing safe, commer cially competitive, clean, and reliable nuclear energy to global markets. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation’s MMR energy sys tem can provide electricity or process heat to heavy industries and remote communities. Also, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation developed its proprietary nuclear fuel: fully ceramic micro-en capsulated fuel (FCM). USNC-Power will be deploying the MMRs into the Canadian market.
For over 20 years, my career has been in engineering and construction in the mining industry. I have been with USNCPower for two years. I ended up working with a nuclear power company to build that bridge between the nuclear power indus try and the resource sector. Decarbonization is a strategic prior ity for all major mining companies, and even the smaller ones have aggressive net-zero targets. I am a mining guy at heart, and I wanted to be a part of an effective solution because decar bonization of the mining industry is now front and center.
CMJ: Can you explain what is an MMR?
KD: The MMR is a new class of nuclear reactors; it is much smaller in size and power than any traditional nuclear reac tors with enhanced safety features. Factory constructed with a far smaller footprint and expected economies from fleet opera tion, the MMR is suitable for powering remote communities and providing process heat to industry and is expected to be oper ational in Canada later this decade. Our reactor is designed to provide a solution specifically for off-the-grid applications. The size of our reactor is suitable to the Canadian market, particu larly in the resources sector (mines) and remote communities. In some cases, it can serve both a mine and its local community, which is a double benefit.
CMJ: Can you summarize in general the benefits of your MMR? How is your MMR different from any other SMR technology?
What makes it unique and more suitable for the Canadian mining industry and other applications?
KD: Canada has a resource-based economy. Securing the energy and having cost certainty for the life of mine is what nuclear power can provide that can help de-risk the economics of a proj ect. Companies sometimes need to fly diesel in or bring it on ice roads to remote mines. Who knows if the ice road will still be there in 10 years? So, it is the risk in addition to the cost of the carbon tax.
In the last two years, I have seen a shift in the mining sector with respect to how they are assessing technologies. A year ago, the word “nuclear” would not even be mentioned in net-zero conferences: “Let us find any solution and avoid anything that may be a difficult topic to address socially.”
During the CIM conference in Vancouver, there was a dis cussion about how small mod ular reactors are now a valid option for the mining compa nies. It is not about one tech nology or the other; it is about leveraging all technologies, col laborating across technologies, and using everything we have got to reach the net-zero target.
We view nuclear energy as green energy. There is no one perfect solution; all renew ables have their own footprint and challenges as well. Nuclear power is a reliable source of energy that has a very low car bon footprint. So, it brings that base load energy that you can complement with renewables.
Ken Darlington, vice-president of corporate development with USNC-Power.Generally, SMRs offer a lower initial capital investment, greater scalability, and flexibility to be used in locations unable to accommodate more traditional larger reactors. They also have the potential for enhanced safety and security compared to earlier designs. The cost of power or diesel can be deal break ers for certain projects. That is another motivation to switch to a clean, robust source of energy for mining in Canada.
The unique feature of MMRs is their reliability over any other kind of energy source.
Solar and wind, for instance, are also reliable, but there is a practical limitation to how much energy you can get from them depending on the location. The sun does not always shine, and the wind does not always blow. Batteries can store some of that energy, and in smaller applications that may work. However, it will be difficult to sustain the load for a mine that needs 5, 10, or 20 MW. We do not see it as one technology versus the other; they can be complementary to each other.
Also, SMRs can be coupled with other energy sources: renew ables or even fossil energy to leverage resources and produce
higher efficiencies and multiple energy end-products while increasing grid stability and security. Our advanced MMR design can produce a higher temperature process heat for either elec tricity generation or other mining and industry applications.
SMRs can provide power for applications where large plants are not needed or sites lack the infrastructure to support a large unit, including smaller electrical markets, remote areas, smaller grids, and other unique industrial applications. There are a few moving parts in the world of SMRs. First, there is a spectrum in size; anything under 300 MW (specifically between five and 300 MW) is considered an SMR. Since we are looking at off-grid applications, one of the advantages of the MMR is its small size that makes it suitable for deployment at mines and in remote communities.
MMRs can produce five MW for 20 years continuously; you do not need to refuel the reactor. These are very small plants, and we refer to them more as batteries. A single reactor is the size of a tanker truck. If you need 20 MW, you put in four reac tors and so on. Now, you have a single power plant that can secure the process heat and electricity for the life of the mine.
MMRs do not produce electricity; they produce heat, and you decide what you want to do with that heat. The potential deploy ment of an MMR at a mine campus will demonstrate how a com munity reactor can provide energy for all facets of life. We can use the heat to provide carbon-free electrification of mobile fleet process, heating, and agricultural use for the community.
Currently, our MMR is the only SMR project in Canada in for mal licensing process with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commis sion, which gives us a significant lead in terms of time to market. The reactor at Chalk River is the same design intended for com mercialization. For a mining proj ect or a remote community, since
Ultra Safe Nuclear’s proprietary FCM fuel is a major advancement in the development of safe nuclear fuel.
USNC-Power and Global First Power (GFP) entered a strategic partnership with McMaster University to advance research in SMRs technology (a clean energy technology that will play an essential role in Canada’s net-zero by 2050 goal) at the university while testing to implement in remote communities and select industries. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) with McMaster demonstrates the continued advancement of nuclear energy in the country and paves the way for Canadian communities to adopt an original approach to greenhouse gas-free energy.
Ultra Safe Nuclear’s MMR incorporates safety at the most fundamental level: the fuel and the core.
the design has already been through the licensing process, it will be familiar to the regulator.
CMJ: McMaster University, Ultra Safe Nuclear, and GFP entered a new partnership to advance research in SMRs. Can you talk in detail about the recent MOU and how it will help Canada reach a low-carbon future?
KD: We partnered to drive SMR research, innova tion, and training. All partners in this agreement are expected to use their knowledge and expertise to help Canada meet its netzero target.
Mining is a big industry and the same can be said for the nuclear power industry. I would say one thing that is different in working for a technology company is the necessity of form ing effective partnerships so that you can leverage that technol ogy. In our case, we partnered with GFP to develop Canada’s first MMR at Chalk River laboratories. GFP is developing Cana da’s first commercial SMR at the Chalk River laboratories site, where much of the research and training will take place. We
signed an MOU to further examine the feasibility of deploying the MMR at McMaster University or an affiliated site. McMas ter is a global leader in nuclear R&D and a recognized centre of excellence for training.
Ultra Safe Nuclear has developed the MMR technology for worldwide deployment. GFP is the partnership between USNCPower and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) that is deploying Ultra Safe Nuclear’s MMR technology in Canada.
This is the most advanced SMR project in the Western world, and McMaster’s talent pool of experts, building research col laborations and fostering student training initiatives will strengthen the position of Canada as a global leader in SMR deployment which is critical for addressing the global climate emergency. GFP’s MMR Project at Chalk River is expected to be operational in 2027.
Ultra Safe Nuclear’s CEO, Francesco Venneri, believes the GFP’s MMR project is specifically designed for Canadian cli mates, and similar in size and power to McMaster’s five-MW reactor.
CMJ: Most of the mining sites in Canada are within First Nations’ territories. Your technology will help to improve the quality of life in those remote communities. Do you expect problems in deploy ing the technology to Indigenous territories knowing that it is nuclear power?
KD: Canada has a lot to gain by pursuing SMRs reactors, and powering remote communities is just a part of that. There is an Indigenous advisory council on Canada’s SMR action plan. So, they are engaged at the national level.
Now is the time for those discussions with Indigenous com munities because we are looking at commercialization of our MMR reactor in 2027, so it makes sense to start engaging Indige nous communities now. GFP has been engaged with Indigenous communities in the Chalk River project and has agreements with five of them. Indigenous engagement must start before day one. Recently, I attended a First Nations Power Authority con ference in Saskatoon, and the number one priority for mining companies is to engage those communities.
There is no mining project and without Indigenous support, there is no nuclear project either. We need to listen to and understand their concerns.
The MMR Energy System is well-suited to a variety of applications, including power and process heat, for reliable energy
CMJ: So, it is a win-win situation for them and for everybody; were those efforts in response to the announcement of Canada’s SMR action plan?
KD: SMRs are gaining momentum very fast in Canada. Can ada is going to need research and training and several other things to develop a national SMR industry, and McMaster are seeking to be leader of that in the academic space. Canada’s SMR action plan lays out Ottawa’s role in advancing the tech nology. The plan is the result of a pan-Canadian effort bringing together key enablers from across Canada: the federal gov ernment, provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples and communities, power utilities, industry, innovators, laborato ries, academia, and civil society. Both Ultra Safe Nuclear and OPG are contributors to Canada’s SMR action plan. The part nership also builds on McMaster’s rich nuclear expertise and contributions to Canada’s SMR action plan. It also allows Ultra Safe Nuclear to conduct life-cycle studies on the optimal utiliza tion of SMRs and train the next generation of experts that will build, operate, maintain, monitor, and regulate these facilities. The government believes SMRs could be the solution to provide clean energy to remote mining and fossil fuel projects in need of power.
Our technology can provide a reliable solution for the eco nomic prosperity of those communities, and it offers an oppor tunity for the mining companies to participate in securing the energy for those communities. The logistics of using diesel is also a risk to those communities, and an MMR unit running for 20 years without refueling replaces 200 million litres of diesel.
CMJ
North America is seeing a growing emphasis on sustainabil ity and the role environmental initiatives play in making the world a cleaner, greener place to live. Both the United States and Canada have set targets to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. As states and equipment manufacturers set carbon neutrality and net emissions goals of their own, more fleets and jobsites are striving to meet “green quotas” as they go about their daily work.
It is important to remember that a focus on sustainability means more than environmental benefits; it can also play a direct role in helping operations reduce energy usage, improve efficiency and, as a result, increase profitability. Equipment that can run on battery power and other alternative power sources has gained popularity; however, options that create environmentally friendly solutions for diesel consumption are a critical piece of the puzzle. This is where renewable diesel takes the stage – a new diesel option that is 100% sustainable and renewable.
Traditionally, diesel – also called petroleum diesel or fossil fuel –is made from crude oil. It has long been a popular fuel for large equipment due to diesel engines’ ability to take on heavy-duty
work. Although petroleum diesel is often favoured, it is derived from a non-renewable source of energy and contributes to air pollution. Biodiesel’s introduction created an option to reduce these concerns. However, biodiesel has its limitations. It is not a direct drop-in replacement for diesel and does not perform as well in cold temperatures due to its chemical composition. Now, renewable diesel is entering the playing field. With components that maximize the benefits of both biodiesel and petroleum die sel, renewable diesel is setting the standard for the future.
Renewable diesel is a sustainable, low-carbon biofuel derived from waste products and other biomass such as vegetable oils, greases and natural fats. Like biodiesel, renewable diesel reduces particle emissions. But unlike biodiesel, renewable die sel is processed by treating oils with hydrogen, which removes the limitations related to reduced shelf life and cold weather performance that first generation biodiesel encountered.
The renewable diesel production process involves saturating feedstocks – such as vegetable oils or waste fats – with hydro gen at temperatures above 300°C. The final step in the process is isomerization, which creates a fuel that is almost chemically identical to petroleum diesel. This means renewable diesel can be used interchangeably with petroleum diesel without requir ing additives or special blends.
How renewable diesel can combine with on-site fuel storage to reduce carbon emissions
Storing renewable diesel follows the same guidelines as reg ular oils like petroleum diesel, kerosene and other fuel blends. Of course, these fuel storage regulations vary depending on the location and use of the tank, but typically require a UL listed tank and a form of secondary containment. On-site fuel storage manufacturers understand these guidelines, and some have created their fuel tanks to be not only UL listed, but also to include double-walled containment to eliminate the need for a secondary containment pan.
Renewable diesel’s ability to serve as a direct drop-in alterna tive for petroleum diesel is just the start of the advantages this fuel provides. From reduced maintenance and long storage life to its environmental benefits, renewable diesel is a win for everyone involved and excels as an option for all applications where diesel power is required.
Renewable diesel’s clean burning properties reduce particu late production by up to 50%, helping to improve air quality. This is a method contractors can use to meet carbon emission targets for projects while potentially limiting the need to make other changes that might impact jobsite efficiency. This reduced particulate production also helps to improve engine cleanliness and extend the life of the machine.
Additionally, renewable diesel has a higher tolerance to cold temperatures than petroleum diesel. The chemical composition of renewable diesel gives it a freeze point of –40°C while petro leum diesel starts to freeze at around –10°C. At the same time, renewable diesel also has a high flash point of 60°C, which reduces fire hazards.
Unlike first-generation biofuel options, renewable diesel does not contain oxygen, which allows a prolonged storage life of up to 10 years. In comparison, petroleum diesel can only be stored for six to 12 months.
Renewable diesel both improves sustainability and provides efficiency-enhancing benefits. However, before making the switch, check to be sure that the equipment OEM has approved the use of the fuel and verify that your fuel storage solution is compatible with renewable diesel.
Using an on-site fuel storage solution can further reduce emis sions because the storage tanks can be strategically moved and placed in areas that reduce the distance equipment needs to travel to refuel. It also minimizes the number of deliveries to the site, which means fewer emissions from transport.
For example, if a fleet that consumes 37,850 litres of fuel per week switches to renewable diesel, they can reduce their emis sions by approximately 5,243 tonnes. If that same fleet adds on-site fuel storage along with renewable diesel, they can fur ther reduce their carbon footprint by two additional metric tons per year. This is based on standard MPG calculations for fuel delivery trucks and reducing weekly site fuel drops from five to one.
Using on-site storage tanks with a fuel management system also allows operations to track fuel usage, which delivers accountability for every drop of fuel. Some on-site fuel tank manufacturers also offer personalized alerts for situations like above-average consumption rates, overfill incidents, and more. These customizable reports and alerts are sent as email or text and help ensure efficient use of this resource.
With the ability to reduce carbon emissions by up to 85%, it is no surprise that renewable diesel is viewed by many as the wave of the future. For example, California’s low-carbon fuel standard program aims to decrease carbon intensity and improve air quality. The program’s data dashboard reflects an increase in renewable diesel use in the state, with 2021 mark ing the year with the highest volume of renewable diesel since the fuel’s introduction to California in 2012.
Although petroleum diesel is still predominant, environmen tal trends and the benefits that come with this new fuel solution indicate this is just the start for renewable diesel in North America. Operations can prepare for the future by partnering with manufacturers who offer the flexibility to use either petro leum diesel or renewable diesel for their fleet.
By partnering with an on-site fuel storage solutions pro vider who is familiar with fuel trends and storage compatibil ity, operations take further control of their fuel supply. With flexible storage solutions, operations can be ready to use the best diesel option for their application while reducing emis sions during transport and refueling, no matter which type of fuel they choose.
When the time comes, having on-site fuel tanks that are renewable diesel ready will make the switch as seamless as pos sible so the operation can quickly reap the efficiency and sus tainability benefits that renewable diesel provides. CMJ
Jeff Lowe is director of product and sales enablement with Western Global Americas.
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Is the “electrification of everything” the best solution?
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (2021) cannot make it any clearer: mitigat ing the adverse effects of climate change relies on our unre lenting and unified global efforts to accelerate the lowering of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by human activity. In response, many mining companies across the globe have stepped up their efforts in recent years to commit to significant reductions in their GHG emissions. Most corporate plans ulti mately aim for a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050 with many also defining interim targets for 2030. While setting ambitious goals, corporate plans must translate into real-world actions. How will the global mining sector respond to this challenge and make these commitments a reality in the coming decades?
A multi-faceted strategic approach is essential to lowering emissions, mitigating climate change, managing the associated business risks, and saving money. Yes, you can reduce cost and reduce GHG emissions within the same plan!
Cutting costs and emissions also requires ongoing monitoring and fine-tuning to factor in changing market forces. In this arti cle, we look at a few ways of achieving significant GHG emissions reductions for mining operations, working towards a net-zero goal, while bearing in mind there is no single “silver bullet” solu tion to mitigating adverse climate change.
Using less energy Assessing ways to use less energy is a fundamental component of a holistic GHG mitigation strategy. We see that embracing a “lean” culture of continuous improvement through the elimina tion of energy waste is an essential strategic and operational planning component. Here are a few questions to ask:
> Energy and/or process audits lead to energy efficiency improvements. When was the last time a detailed audit was done that considers “energy flow” and have our mining pro duction processes been optimized to the point of leveraging the best of the current energy efficient technologies available?
> Capture and re-use waste heat. Where are we letting heat energy go to waste in our processes, and how can we capture and utilize in another process area not thought of before?
> Adopting next-level plant automation. This means we need to embrace machine learning and advanced IoT concepts. Are we taking advantage of the game-changing recent developments?
While a focus on using less energy through efficiency improvements will move the needle in the right direction, it cannot be the only solution to achieving net-zero. Once we have exhausted all the possible efficiency improvements, the use of some energy is still fundamental to doing business. Therefore,
other carbon neutral energy solutions are needed to help for mulate the overall clean energy mix for mining operations.
The electrification of everything within all mining operations and processes is not a practical option. In many cases the energy efficiency losses and the costs of overcoming the process engineering constraints, especially in heating applications, out weigh the benefits. This means it is not the “silver bullet” solu tion, but it does have a big place in building out the pathway to full decarbonization – by virtue of the significant amount of electricity mines do need to sustain their operations. The GHG emissions contribution from power generation alone can rep resent more than 75% of the total emissions of a mining opera tion today. Therefore, looking at where your mine’s electricity comes from is critical to achieving net-zero. It is often the single largest contributing factor.
Where does your electricity come from and how clean is it?
While remote mining operations are reliant on sourcing their own electricity, many mines closer to populated areas are con nected to the electricity grid, which means that electricity comes with a built-in GHG emissions intensity (i.e., your mine’s Scope 2 emissions). If you were to fully electrify everything in your mining operation, it does not mean you will also achieve net-zero. Assessing the strategic plans of your local electricity operator is needed in these situations. Upon close inspection of the strategic plans for some electricity operating regions, the GHG emissions intensity is projected to increase, not decrease in the coming decade. In Ontario for example, the system oper ator’s current plan includes a tripling of GHG emissions factor for grid-connected power generation due to the retirement of nuclear units and substitution with natural gas.
Utilize the renewable energy resources available on your doorstep Mining operations not connected to the electricity grid (i.e., offgrid or “islanded” systems) represent the greatest decarboniza tion challenge, because the traditional use of diesel or natural gas power generation is no longer an acceptable path forward. Lower carbon solutions are needed to achieve decarbonization goals. Water, solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, and tidal are all renewable energy options that can and should be considered for integration within a mining operation today. There is not one
single alternative that will work in all locations, as the variable characteristics of some renewable energy sources need to be carefully evaluated against the steady state electricity demand of typical mining operations. The question is: Have all the renew able energy resource options been assessed for their feasibility within your mining lease and its surrounding areas?
The other significant incentive for considering the renewable energy options is cost. On a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) basis, onshore wind and solar installations are more competi tive than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired options. Over the past 10 years, the global cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar has fallen 85%; the cost of onshore wind has fallen 56%. Couple this with the projected capital cost reduction of ~50% for battery storage (to level out the supply-demand disparity) in 2030, compared to 2019 rates, and the economics of a hybrid microgrid system start to become very attractive. These are game-changing cost reductions.
Green hydrogen – the production of hydrogen from renewable energy – represents the single most promising development for the hard-to-decarbonize areas of our mining operations. We have the necessary momentum now to make this energy solu tion a reality, rather than it being a “pie-in-the-sky” idea. There are many advantages of integrating hydrogen into a mining operation:
> Mature technologies are available to produce it from elec tricity.
> It can act as a renewable energy storage resource, thereby enabling steady-state baseload power.
> It can be used to power mobile equipment (either combus tion firing or hydrogen-electric fuel cell).
> It can be effectively stored and transported.
> It may be blended with natural gas in various concentrations to create a staged energy transition pathway away from 100% natural gas.
> It can be used for both heat (e.g., HVAC, boilers, kilns, etc.) and base load power applications – both reciprocating engines (e.g., GE Jenbacher JGC series) and gas turbines (e.g., Siemens SGT-A65).
We believe that all mining company strategic decarboniza tion plans should consider the inclusion of green hydrogen as part of the mix of options on the table, as there is too much momentum in the market to ignore it. In some instances, where renewable energy is abundant, like Chile, Australia, and many African countries, it will logically form a greater part of the renewable energy mix. The main challenge in the coming decade will be bringing down the capital costs to widen its mar ket viability. London-based market research company IHS Markit predicts the current costs will fall by 40% in 2025 com pared to today’s prices.
Very significant gains have been made in the past few years in the development of electric-powered mining equipment. Advancements in battery and fuel cell technology is driving this change. Underground mining applications have gained strong momentum in recent years, due in part to the added benefits of significantly improved underground air quality and safety for workers.
Electric vehicle (EV) options for all sorts of mining equipment are now available, from an ever-increasing range of manufac
turers. Improving power-to-weight ratios, operational range and reducing capital cost are three of the key market drivers creating a zero-emissions equipment supply market that becomes increasingly more competitive.
In some situations, offsetting the difficult-to-decarbonize sources with a carbon capture solution may be an option, although this needs careful evaluation to verify and validate the GHG emissions reduction claims. One promising area of development is the use of mine tailings for carbon capture via a carbon mineralization process (e.g., magnesium carbonate). However, this will not work everywhere. Different types of tail ings have different reactivity potential. Understanding the labile magnesium fraction is important to understand the reac tivity potential, and therefore the total carbon sequestration potential.
The big advantage to using tailings is its application across the full mining lifecycle – in closed mines, operating mines, and mines under development. While it is early days for this tech nology, this is one area to watch closely.
Boardroom-led ESG goals and objectives linked to decarboniza tion are fundamental to leading the way for all company man agement and employees to follow. The very top of an organiza tion must be fully committed for a net-zero plan to be success ful. The board might not have all the detailed answers for how
decarbonize their company’s mining operations; there will undoubtedly be roadblocks that are getting in the way, whether they are perceived or quantified. Reviewing the roadblocks through the lens of the “PESTEL” (political, economic, social,
environmental, legal) strategic framework can identify opportunities to work around the barriers to imple mentation.
There is no single pathway to net-zero that fits with every min ing operation’s extraction, processing, and transportation methods. Every net-zero pathway needs to be defined on a siteby-site basis.
Achieving net-zero GHG emissions status in a mining operation is a big, hairy audacious goal. Breaking it down into more man ageable chunks is very much needed. It also requires a strategy of not trying to do it alone. Scope 3 emissions mean you need resilient supply chain partners who have net-zero goals of their own. They need to be an integral part of your journey to netzero.
How to accelerate efforts in the present day will be critical to achieving 2030 decarbonization targets and net-zero goals by 2050. Market demand for base and rare metals is surging because of strong growth in electrification and clean energy technology application. This requires mining operations to increase their production rates, which can create even more GHG emissions in the process if not managed effectively. Achieving your targets and goals will also rely on the further blurring of traditional market sector lines and greater collabo ration between mining, power, energy, and industrial compa nies throughout the supply chain. While this can seem challeng ing on face value, it also presents many untapped opportunities to explore. Is your company taking advantage of these opportu nities and is it on track to achieve net-zero?
CMJ
Ashley Gibson, PEng, is a technical director and regional renewable energy sector lead for SLR Consulting.
Reducing energy use and/or the cost of operating the mine is typically the key objective of an energy audit. It is important, however, to fully understand the goals of the organization and its stakeholders beyond general objectives. Mine managers and owners should determine their own “why” for conducting the audit because that will shape the scope of the work. For exam ple, a mine owner considering major expenses for energy-sav ing measures will need a higher confidence level than one who is only focused on reducing costs.
As we continue to navigate the energy transition, industries around the world are working on ways to decarbonize operations. The same is true with the mining industry, and many mines are aiming to reduce their carbon footprint in the years ahead.
This will be critical to the future of the mining indus try. And to be clear, we must mine. Not only for materi als we use today, but also materials we will need for our future as we navigate the energy transition. Batteries require materials like lithium and cobalt, solar panels require copper and zinc, and wind turbines are pro duced from nickel, chromium, and more. All these min erals and metals are still in the ground – and we need them.
Other potential benefits of an energy audit may include build ing a world-class mining operation; improving processes, sys tems, and behaviors; instill ing efficient and effective mining practices; identifying ways to digitize, improve safety, and reduce GHG emis sions; gaining a competitive advantage; and creating a culture that builds aware ness around ways to improve.
Top left: Mining trucks can burn as much as 300 litres of fuel per hour.
Above: Electrical area for a mining operation underground.
A net-zero future needs mining. So, how can mine operators reduce their carbon emissions and improve their social license to operate? The first step: an energy audit.
The mining, minerals, and metals industry can utilize energy auditors to improve energy efficiency and streamline opera tions. An energy audit reviews the amount of energy used by a mine site to understand energy flows and reduce inefficiencies.
It is important to remember that energy includes both elec tricity and fuel. Energy efficiency in both areas can also lead to a large reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). This goal for min ing is real. All major mining companies who belong to the International Council on Mining and Metals are committed to achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 or sooner. Most of them also have progress goals, such as 30% by 2030.
With current technology, we can know how much energy is being used in various mining and processing functions. Understanding mine energy flows should kickstart efficiency discussions to reduce energy usage, GHG emissions, and overall cost. The energy audit is the catalyst to start these discussions. The resulting energy reductions will reduce our industry’s GHG emissions.
The idea of an energy audit is nothing new. We have seen it on a small scale in our own homes, and even in commercial buildings. But mining operations have far more variables, including the mine’s commodity, size or depth, loca tion, age, and methods. An additional variable that can also make comparisons difficult in mining is mineral deposit qual ity. Lower grades with more waste rock will take more energy to mine and process. And do not forget about the trucks – a mining haul truck can burn as much as 300 litres of fuel per hour!
Given the complexity of most operations, a mine energy audit team should understand the inner workings of mining and pro cessing operations. The team should also have knowledge about the broad spectrum of equipment in use as well as alter natives to them. A strong energy audit team includes specialists in mining, processing, electrical engineering, fleets, and sus tainability. Why? Because having this depth of experience on the team creates a greater understanding of the mine complex, which leads to better outcomes. This helps to create a thorough analysis of the energy-using systems. An energy audit includes these steps:
1 Collect and analyze historical energy use to create an energy balance.
2 Study the mine site and its operations. This includes identify ing the largest energy-consuming processes and equipment.
3 Identify and examine potential energy conservation mea sures (ECMs) that might reduce energy use and/or cost.
4 Perform engineering and economic analyses of potential ECMs.
5 Compute carbon emissions to profile a baseline carbon foot print and future impact from the ECMs.
6 Prepare a prioritized list of suitable ECMs.
7 Prepare a report of the analysis process and results.
The energy balance estimates major energy users, then bal ances them against utility and fuel bills. It should include all energy sources such as electricity, diesel, natural gas, and renewables. Site visits and interviews build on this analysis. Auditors gather more detailed information about large energy uses, discrepancies, suggestions for improvement, and more.
Based on this work, energy auditors then prepare a report outlining the ECMs they identified. This report presents the esti mated costs and benefits of the ECM projects. Results should provide information that managers need to decide if the site should apply the ECMs.
Understanding a mine’s energy should kickstart efficiency discussions to reduce energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and overall cost.
As with any tool, limits exist. Audits typically do not capture the energy impact from the dynamic nature of a mine site. For example, auditors generally cannot account for changing ore
quality, modified production schedules, or staff turnover. These changing conditions could mean new opportunities to improve energy efficiency. Or they may offset previous gains. Therefore, energy audits should be conducted regularly or when major workflows change.
Mining companies with ambitious net-zero goals need urgency to make changes now. An energy audit is a good place to start. Why? Because they can identify “low-hanging fruit” that has a low-cost relative to its potential savings. A proactive mine operator who implements ECMs from the audit is setting the mine up for success. The mine can both improve its bottom line and reduce its carbon footprint.
As mines look 10 or 20 years into the future to achieve their net-zero commitments, they must act now on financially via ble ECMs. Management needs a sense of urgency – and this urgency is increasingly important. Pressure from consumers and governments is rising as they reward or punish mining operations based on carbon emissions.
When mine owners can improve energy efficiency with quick paybacks and without disrupting production, both the mine and our environment win.
CMJ
Debra Johnson is a senior strategist at Stantec. She works with mining companies to achieve and exceed their ESG, carbon neutrality, and net-zero goals.
The global market for batteries is expected to grow by 20% annually for the foreseeable future – that is $300 to $400 billion in the next decade. We are in the middle of an energy and technology revolution, and the world needs what Canada has: critical minerals and raw materi als, robust mining and processing expertise, and a government with a reputation for being busi ness-friendly, fiscally sophisticated, with high stan dards for environmental protection, human rights, labour, and workplace safety.
Things are happening quickly in battery technol ogy development, along with its manufacturing and distribution. There is a lot of excitement about what this opportunity represents for the industrial sector and the country. We want our share of the pie.
Yet for all its potential, Canada is late to the table. The net-zero train is pulling out of the station. There is a chance to get on board if we act now.
At this year’s PDAC conference, I was invited to join a panel discussion as part of the Capital Markets program. The topic was “A battery file push to net-zero industry: Call to action!” There was a good exchange of visions, positions, analysis, and advice from industry, government, special interest, and investors. All agreed the opportunity is immense, but the margin for error is very slim.
Here are four things we need to start doing today and the challenges we must face if we ever hope to maximize the opportunities the battery age is giving us.
The overarching challenge is that we have two revolutions hap pening at the same time. One is the effects of climate change, pushing us to “go electric” at full tilt. Two is the magnitude of what must be conceptualized, built, and developed to make it happen. Both are heavily dependent on metals and mining, and on having the sector step-up in ways it never had to before.
Critical metals is a new industry for Canada, and it is requir ing our sector to become something very different. Gold, iron ore, copper; crushing, grinding, flotation – we know those things well. Today, a traditional project to mine gold, for exam ple, is a 7-to-10-year timeline.
Launching a new project to locate, mine, and process critical metals is effectively two major projects at the same time. The construction of the mine itself is often in a remote location. That means having infrastructure, transportation, and ade quate living conditions long before shovels hit the ground. The second part is the process transformation that is needed for critical metals. We do not yet have the tools to build an indus try like that. Taken together, the mine construction and unfa miliar processing methods translate into a lot of risk, like proj ect inflation, delays we cannot anticipate, and cost overruns we cannot control. Not to mention the likelihood of a few failures
The demand for battery materials could mean a paradigm shift for Canada’s mining and metals sector, one that could make the industrial revolution look like a lane change. There are four things we must build and do right now to be considered a serious player in the criticalminerals marketplace.
because we are dealing with high-risk, new-process technology implementations and trying to adjust to unpredictable market shifts in supply and demand.
As mining consultants and engineers, we are constantly being asked to evaluate new processes and technologies for our clients. We see unique things that have never been built or done before. The problem is, when everything is new – and the net-zero indus try is still a neophyte – we have no way to estimate what it really costs to produce the product. We cannot tell when the operation will begin to recoup the massive amounts of investment capital it will need and maybe even show a profit – something our cli ents are particularly interested in.
There are the ancillary costs we cannot anticipate. Waste products and their disposal. Transportation logistics. Canada prides itself on being a world leader when it comes to environ mental protection and waste recycling. Managing the down stream, post-production issues could constitute an entire indus try unto itself.
We agree that developing a critical-minerals industry could be an amazing opportunity. But our inexperience, our lack of local expertise, and especially the need to move so quickly all underscore the need for caution. Developing a new critical-met als sector will mean walking a very fine line between what gov ernment says we need and what the mining industry can real istically do.
The overarching risk is that the money spent on exploration today may not help in five years. Other options may materialize for cleaner energy and battery technologies that are less expen sive or disruptive.
There is a lot of risk when you try to do new things. But we need to bring every tool we have to the game and invent a lot of new ones. Because we need to stop burning fossil fuels.
There is no substitute for knowledge and experience. In min ing, processing, and distributing critical minerals for battery production, the world’s pool of technical expertise is small and largely concentrated in China. Now, we have clients who are comfortable mining and processing lithium to produce concen trates. But these concentrates are then sent to China, where they have the knowledge and technology to convert them into batteries. That is the part of the process where the most value is added, and that is part of the process where Canada lacks the most presence.
We have only a small portion of the expertise it takes, first to build the mines and the processing facilities, then to operate, fix, and maintain them. What is more, we compete with the rest of the world for people with the requisite skills. We like to think people want to come to Canada, but the remoteness of our min ing regions is not always an inducement for experts who can work anywhere. And the COVID-19 epidemic has added another layer of complexity to recruiting over the past two or three years.
My colleagues on the panel at PDAC all agreed that the criti cal-metals industry is a rare and great opportunity. They also agreed that there will continue to be skills challenges.
The next divide is between government and industry. Their interests and goals differ. Government sees the skill shortage as an economy-wide problem, even the “most critical issue facing Canada’s industrial capacity right now.” Ottawa wants to see skills developed in various areas and says it is putting programs in place to support this. But government also wants private
industry to take on the task of skills development. That can be costly. Both agree that young people are the third piece of the puzzle. Students need to be encouraged to learn different skills and choose different career paths if new industries are going to get the employees they need.
Looked at the right way, this could be a turning point for our industry. For decades, we have been working to improve every thing about mining practices. We have done much to overcome its poor reputation in the last century, when the word “mining” was synonymous with environmental damage, sub-optimal safety standards, and disregard for Indigenous communities in the areas of its operations.
Today, young people need a reason to start seeing mining in a new way: as a problem-solver in the climate change chal lenge. Critical minerals are making a slew of new products and industries possible. Students, especially in the STEM fields, are excited to be a part of how the future is evolving. That enthusi asm is creating a lot of interest in minerals, batteries, and cleaner, more efficient sources of energy.
We are reaching out to develop stronger relationships with universities, hoping to attract people by sponsoring engineering projects, providing mentors and even internship possibilities. It is gratifying to see young people’s interest in mining and metals grow when we stress the positive things these products are help ing our clients do, the solutions to serious problems they are helping them to find. They are excited to be associated with a company that is contributing to improving the environment.
Another consideration is that professional services, like those my company provides to the mining and metals sector, is a reg ulated industry. Mining professionals, their education, compe tencies, and responsibilities must be properly certified and are carefully controlled by professional and government licensing bodies. In some cases, it can take five years and more to become certified as qualified in a particular field. This adds still another layer of backlog that requires industry-wide consideration and time – which we do not have – to address properly.
THREE: An open chequebook Major projects, like weaning the world off carbon-based power, cost a lot. Historically, when Canada built its transcontinental railway, its major highways or its automobile industry, the forces driving the projects had big buy-in from those who had the funds to support it. For what it will cost to scale-up a criti cal-minerals industry, the funding options are limited. There are the three orders of government and their strong credit rat ings, and the big pension funds, which have traditionally been sources of mining financing. But this transformation is at a level that will require more than that.
Canada’s strong environmental protection, labour, and health-and-safety laws could shortlist us as a desirable partner for countries pledging to conduct their businesses in sustain able, UN SDG-affirming ways. Again, the challenge is in the newness. Companies and countries often must decide between what is best for their immediate survival and what may service them long-term. No one wants to spend more capital than they have to. Canada’s first-world policies place it at a disadvantage, at least for the foreseeable future, because of the cost of doing business here is high compared to those places with less strin gent regulations.
Right now, there are several worthwhile, shovel-ready proj ects that could help take us in the right direction. They are left
stranded because the companies cannot attract investors. Financial support from the federal or provincial government would go a long way to de-risking these projects, showing a vote of confidence that would encourage private investment.
The Quebec Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals focuses on specific elements that have direct applica tion to the battery industry. The province says it wants to move rapidly to support the right development proposals and has earmarked billions for that purpose. The federal government claims to favour a “partnership orientation,” saying it is willing to adjust its posture to make funds available in the right way; i.e., one that is right for Canada overall. It is optimistic about the level of interest other countries have in securing access to a safe, secure supply chain for critical minerals.
Monumental tasks need monumental resources and strategic thinking. Clean Energy Canada says the country needs to dou ble the size of its electrical grid over the next 15 years. The needs of the mining and metals sector must be considered in this growth plan. Doing so efficiently and with any degree of reliability is next to impossible when we cannot predict how much electricity is needed, where or when.
The government of Canada says some of the most credible mineral resources are on Indigenous lands or close to them. For miners, the chance to improve relationships with native peo ples is a mission for the age. The provinces need to be involved enthusiastically, having more opportunities to work in partner ship with indigenous communities, building local industries with bright economic prospects.
Finally, we need to continue creating good communication and opportunities for industry partners to come together and collaborate. There is plenty to do. Working together increases the probability that we will move forward together in technol ogy development, in community-building and in providing good employment prospects as well as successful businesses and investments for our stakeholders.
At PDAC, the panel wrapped up discussion of the critical-met als-industry potential with each participant describing the progress they expected to see from the industry, first by 2025 and then by 2035. Few were optimistic for substantial advance ments in the next three years, although all implied there were plans in the works.
By 2035, the prospects are much better. Government, indus try, environmental advocacy groups, and investors recognize the need to do whatever we can to accelerate investment in crit ical-mineral production for the good of the country and the health of the mining and metals sector.
Let us start with a national battery strategy for the country and the industry that we can all support. Let us be willing to change how we have always done things for the possibility of doing them even better. Finally, let us continue to fuel enthusi asm, especially among bright, optimistic young people who are considering career choices, for what we in the metals and min ing industry have always done: find exciting new solutions that make the world a better place. CMJ Colin Hardie is national director, mines and metals and chair of the board of directors at BBA Inc.
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Sustainable solutions that move and improve the world.
AMuon telescope measures the flow and trajectory of incoming particles derived from muons, one of the sec ondary cosmic rays’ components, coming from Earth’s upper atmosphere and pass ing through matter in their way which creates an attenuation. Different matters generate different known attenuations that can be used in a reverse manner to infer the type of material, density, and dimensions of that same matter in the way of the flow.
Because of the regularity in which this muon flow occurs, accordingly varying to solar cycles and atmospheric pressure, and in all directions with a known angu lar distribution, it is possible to measure the attenuation with a sensor. The tele scope captures the previously mentioned measurements of whatever is directly close to it, working similarly to a tomo graph for much bigger volumes, and with the advantage of using naturally occurring radiation. This radiation is sus tainable, free, and available anywhere on the planet.
The telescope measures the density and volume of any material placed under or next to it, as it detects cosmic muons. By passing through material, the muon flux changes its attributes, that are ana lyzed by the telescope to detect what it passed through, how dense, and heavy the material is. Konker, the specialist operators of the Muon telescope, back tracks and maps the different densities looking into large amounts of mass com parable to a tomograph to discover secu rity relevant deviations of density in tail ings dams and inverted cones in stock piles amongst other possible applications. As the muon flux is absolute, constant, and naturally available, it is more accu rate and sustainable than many conven tional solutions. The measurements can be fed into any available supply chain system by using the provided interfaces, thus making it a seamless and fully endto-end integrated solution.
The solution is autonomous and self-
calibrating, making human interaction obsolete, works around the clock, and able withstands extreme climate condi tions. For planning and forecast ability, all data collected is stored, allowing for the application of constantly improving prediction models and comparisons of historical data.
The data measurements are processed through analytics and machine learning algorithms, allowing for the generation of extremely accurate measurements which are then mapped and integrated into the value chain and possibly the IT/ OT processes of mining companies.
One unique proposition of Konker’s muon telescope is the fact that it is self-calibratable. It requires no human intervention to keep itself working prop erly for long periods of time. Also, it applies a concept that is broadly used in tests conducted in laboratories, which means it conforms to the industrial stan dards and environments.
For most companies, the preferred way to store ores is through the formation of conic ore stockpiles in which the miner
als are deposited into, but this may cause issues in accurately measuring the volume.
The scale method of measuring vol ume has a relative error that ranges from 3% to 5% and cannot be conducted regularly, thus potentially causing major misinformation. Moreover, it requires human assistance, making it
not fully automated. That misinforma tion can then financially impact compa nies by hindering the extraction process and the final production.
Konker’s method has a more sustain able and accurate approach, as it has an absolute error of 3% in its automated pro cess and can provide more consistent measures. The conventional method can only measure the mass of what is entering and exiting, not what really is in the stock pile at any given moment, causing the error to be cumulative. This implies an error that can gradually grow larger and eventually be much more than the pre dicted 5%.
In addition, mining companies can opt for using aerial photogrammetry to mea sure volume and dimensions of stock piles; however, the disadvantage of that method is the fact that it requires favor able climate conditions and human oper ation, rendering it not fully automated. Furthermore, the measurement is not carried out on a continuous basis.
To this point, the telescope is only used in the mining sector, because of the speci ficity of large volumes. However, regard ing overall effectiveness, muography has merit and efficacy in different fields, such as volcano imaging, archaeology, rock mass density measurements, cargo scanning, and imaging of nuclear waste and reactors.
The security of tailings dams is a cru cial factor to the population, nature, and overall environment. To avoid tailings dams’ failure, Konker is offering two distinct solutions. The first solution is measuring the density of coarse tailing in dams to assure that the density does not surpass a safety-critical threshold.
This is being done by using adapted, subaquatic telescopes that are distrib uted in the dam and submerged into the coarse layer. From down under, the tele scope, connected to the surface by wir ing, is sending its density measurements to the software that maps the data into integrated dashboards.
The second solution is the use of the telescope outside a dam, measuring its safety by the density within the dam and its surroundings, potentially avoiding catastrophic tailings dam failure by early detection of high-risk density abnormalities that may lead to instabil ity and rupture. The idea is to provide a transportable telescope that can be used for quality approval for many dams.
The telescope constantly collects muon rate data and, when plotted against the mass measured by the mechanical bal ances on the pile feed belts, one can observe a very strong anti-correlation between the muon rate measured by the telescope and the mechanical measure
ment – even before accurate calibration and proper noise reduction.
The first step in using the telescope data is to calculate the individual detection effi ciency of the muon sensitive scintillator bars, that use solid state photomultipliers (SiPM) as light sensors, and their temporal evolution. It is not possible to use direc tionality data, without knowing the effi ciency level, and without its evolution, it is impossible to compare measurements taken at different times. Therefore, Konker developed a calibration system that uses multiple coincidence data to directly calculate the efficiency of various detection planes, making use of the same magnitudes added to a Monte Carlo simu lation of the telescope’s geometry to infer the efficiencies of other detection planes. Moreover, these efficiency issues related to electronics (such as SiPM gain) can be treated or mitigated remotely. Knowing the detection efficiency over time, it is possible to construct a calibration curve using the measured muon flux data and the mass obtained by topographical reconstruction. CMJ
Delivering fit-for-purpose solutions across the entire mining life cycle
analytical
Premier Caroline Cochrane OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
During PDAC 2022 in Toronto, I caught up with Premier Caro line Cochrane (CC) of the North west Territories (NWT) and Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment (ITI), Caro line Wawzonek (CW) to discuss mining opportunities in the NWT and what is needed to help the NWT place itself at the forefront of an economically advan tageous resource development program to invest and do business. The NWT is home to the Nechalacho deposit that became Canada’s first rare earths pro ducer when it commenced production in June 2021. Canada’s 2022 federal bud get includes an investment of at least $2
billion for a strategy to accelerate the production and processing of critical minerals needed for the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. Also, during PDAC 2022, the Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan, announced Canada’s list of critical minerals.
The NWT needs mining infrastructure and is planning to work with the federal government to be attractive to mining companies.
CMJ: What does the NWT have to offer in terms of the green economy and mining? And what do you need to be able to reach your mining potential?
CC: Critical minerals is the buzzword now. The NWT has been reliant on the mining sector for many decades. It is one of the major industries, and it represents one-third of our GDP in the Northwest Territories. Despite the federal govern ment really focusing on green, low-carbon economy and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the government real izes that you cannot have a green econ omy without critical minerals, i.e., without mining. Critical minerals are considered essential to Canada’s economic security and required for Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
That opens huge opportunities for the
The government of Canada has developed a list of 31 minerals considered critical for the sustainable economic success of Canada and its allies and to position Canada as the leading mining nation, as set out in the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP). The list provides greater predictability to industry, investors, provinces and territories, and Canada’s international partners on Canada’s mineral priorities. It also enables policy makers to target and address key points in supply chains.
NWT. Twenty-two of the 31 critical miner als on the list announced by the federal government during PDAC can be found within the NWT with good potential for additional discoveries.
The International Energy Agency pre dicts that the market size of critical min erals needed for the green, low-carbon energy transition will grow almost seven times by 2030. The problem is that we need the infrastructure to access these minerals. This is not news! For decades, we have been asking the federal govern ments for nothing more than support in establishing an appropriate mining infrastructure. We just want the same basic standard of living, the same infra structure that most Canadians take for granted, for example, road systems, hydro, and communication networks.
Many of our communities are not accessible. We need roads to access those communities, so people can have oppor tunities and to provide access to the criti cal minerals that the whole world needs. We need to close the infrastructure gap between the NWT and the rest of Canada.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools were closed, and most of our stu dents had no access to education. That is a basic right!
We need that addressed, and we need to be part of the solution. We are still reli ant on diesel in the NWT and by expand ing our hydro, we can replace diesel with green energy. Those things will help glob ally as well. Recognizing the geopolitical situation happening across the world today and the supply chains shortages, the NWT can be part of the solution for Canada. We must access the resources that we have in Canada, instead of being reliant on other countries.
CW: We held a critical minerals work shop in November 2021 that underscored that more than half of these 31 miner als can be found in the NWT. Represen tatives of each level of government and Indigenous governments participated in the workshop in addition to academ
ics and mining industry associations. The workshop report’s focus was how the NWT may be able to place itself at the forefront of an ecologically, culturally, and economically advantageous resource development program. It also noted that investment in transportation and energy infrastructure will need to be acceler ated. But, while this new infrastructure is necessary for various mining activities, it will ultimately benefit all residents of the NWT by facilitating greater trade, mobil ity, and communication, while lowering the cost of living.
Not only will the NWT be able to pro duce these metals crucial to a low-car bon, technologically advanced economy, the jobs created from infrastructure development, exploration, extraction, processing, and transportation will have an enormous impact on the economy and health of the territory.
During 2021-22, ITI with assistance from CanNor, awarded $1.5 million in Mining Incentive Program (MIP) grants to successful prospector and industry applicants, including 14 primarily for early-stage and five for advanced-stage exploration projects.
As the NWT rebounds from the COVID19 pandemic, exploration and devel opment in diamonds, gold, and several critical minerals are expected to boost the NWT economy in the coming years. Significant progress was made in further ing work at several advanced explora tion projects including Pine Point, Prairie Creek, and NICO.
CMJ: How does the recent announcement of the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT)’s agreement to sell its Mactung property to Fireweed Zinc reinforce the territory’s strong critical minerals potential?
CW: I think Fireweed can get it up and running with profitability again. The gov ernment’s goal really was not to operate a mine. There were two properties, Mac
tung mine and Cantung mine. Only Can tung was in the production stage. The Mactung property witnessed a change in ownership several times before it was acquired by the North American Tung sten (NATC) in 1997. NATC released a feasibility study for the project in Febru ary 2009, which called for underground mining for the Mactung tungsten project, with a mine life of 11.2 years and a pro duction capacity of 2,000 t/d. The study also suggested that there is a potential for open-pit mining with near surface and lower grade resources, expanding the mine life by 17 years. NATC received environmental approval for the plan to develop the project in 2014. Both proper ties were owned by NATC before it went into bankruptcy protection in 2015.
In an extraordinary move, the GNWT acquired the Mactung project in 2015 for $4.5 million with an intention to sell it once the tungsten market recovers. The federal government also acquired the Cantung property. Both governments worked together to sell both properties in tandem. Then, we involved all Indig enous governments of the region before we started to seek a potential buyer. The GNWT, federal government, and more than 10 NWT and Yukon First Nations governments initially approved a list of qualified bidders for the two tungsten projects. When that RFP process for the joint properties closed, there were only a couple of bids. Fireweed Zinc were inter ested in Mactung alone. They had been through the whole process. They had already been introduced to the Indige nous governments of the region because they wanted to know who the potential bidders were.
The project site lies adjacent to Fire weed’s Macmillan Pass zinc-lead-silver project and 13 km north of its Tom deposit. It is an exciting opportunity for
Firewood, NWT, and the Indigenous Peo ples in the region, and hopefully they can get Mactung up and running.
Fireweed Zinc signed a binding letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire the Mactung tungsten project from the GNWT in June 2022, with plans to develop a new min eral resource estimate. It is also expected to prepare a new preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the project in 2023.
CMJ: Is the GNWT providing grants or tax breaks to Fireweed?
CW: No, but we have the Mining Incen tive Program (MIP) grants where any exploration company can access funding to help support exploration and leverage their funds. We certainly want to encour age them to apply to that, but nothing was offered before the sale process was completed.
CMJ: How can you benefit from the new funding, announced by the federal government, for a strategy to accelerate the production and processing of critical minerals needed for the EV battery supply chain?
CC: I am heading to Ottawa tomorrow (at the time of the interview in June 2022) to discuss what they are going to offer to each jurisdiction. Because of what we have to offer, we should be one of the first jurisdictions that the federal gov ernment is talking to. We have probably the biggest reserves of critical minerals in Canada, and I do not think that can be discounted. The government must focus on the NWT. We certainly need that fund ing for the infrastructure.
CW: That was good news! The NWT is already home to Canada’s first rare earths’ mine, and the Mactung announce ment builds on the NWT position: our crit ical and strategic minerals can support the world’s shift to a low carbon economy.
The increasing demand for critical minerals, as well as the recent federal funding ($2 billion) that was announced for a national critical minerals’ strategy, is good news for the territory and for projects such as NICO, Pine Point, and Prairie Creek which are nearing mine construction decisions.
We still need to see how those funds will be distributed. My understanding is
that they are looking to each province and territory individually to figure out how the funds should be structured.
We are looking forward to that dis cussion directly with the federal gov ernment, as there is also funding for infrastructure related to critical miner als projects in the budget announcement. This is of particular interest because we have a couple of advanced stage critical mineral projects.
CMJ: Collaboration with Indigenous Peoples is a crucial part of the mining process in Canada. Recently, the B.C. government and Tahltan Nation announced a landmark agreement that will ensure Indigenous consent is obtained before mining takes place, and it will benefit all projects in that province. What is the model in the NWT? How do you work the relationship between
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your government and First Nations? Are you thinking of new legislations?
CC: The NWT model, with resource roy alty-sharing, socio-economic and benefit agreements, regulatory co-management, and collaborative legislation develop ment, is at the forefront of Indigenous participation in mining, exploration, and development in Canada – and likely globally.
The GNWT has a lot to offer to Canada in how we do business in the north with Indigenous governments. I attended the workshop on the United Nations Decla ration on the Rights of Indigenous Peo ples at PDAC, and it was packed solid with people. How do we implement this? People are trying to figure out what it means, and do we have to get the First Nations consent?
Almost 55% of the NWT’s popula tion are Indigenous, me included being Métis. We make sure that the Indige nous governments have the governance structures, the abilities, the economic abilities to take care of their members. We have been working with our Indige nous governments for many years, and I do not take credit for that. It was the pre vious government, in which I was a min ister that created the intergovernmental council table that has been sharing the royalties that we get from the mineral resources sector for many decades with Indigenous governments. All of us are equal partners at the table, each voice has a say, and each voice is heard. What we need in the north is to be able to get to the same standard of living available for the rest of Canada. All of us are equal partners at the table. We use consultants if needed but we always make decisions with the Indigenous governments. For a long time, we have had ESG, training, education, employment, and social ben
efits in every agreement with miners. So, this is not new to us.
The federal government comes up with legislation, and the provinces or territories have the right to make their own. We are probably one of the most progressive governments in Canada in working with Indigenous governments.
CW: On top of our critical minerals potential, our ESG and ESG-I (Indige nous) approach ensures Indigenous Peo ples are at the decision-making table from the start, and our regulatory sys tem recognizes many of the issues that are important to our residents includ ing environmental protection and Indig enous rights.
There is quite a lot to say, but I would like to highlight our co-man agement-based system. It grew out of agreements signed with the Indigenous governments in the NWT. It can be a lit tle more complex to bring several gov ernments to a table and to bring them together through that process.
But the upside is that investors are going through an inclusive process with the people who own the land, the socio economic agreements, and the impact benefits agreements all built in. This way we make sure of meeting very high stan dards of environmental, social, and gov ernance and Indigenous participation. In the NWT’s approach, the regulations are co-developed with Indigenous govern ments.
Finally, we also developed the Ter ritorial Lands Act System (ATLAS). It is an interactive web-based mapping ser vice that provides accurate mapping of each parcel of land in the NWT. It dis plays real-time information about who administers the land and details of active interests on both Territorial and Commissioner’s Land.
CMJ: Unlike many other First Nations, The Tahltan are very savvy when it comes to mining. In the NWT, do you need to give business advice to First Nations and help them out with the different aspects of the agreements?
CW: The NWT is very future minded but also grounded in the reality that we must think about those future gen erations from all aspects. The NWT is such an exciting place; Indigenous val ues permeate so much of what happens here. For instance, we have 11 official languages, multiple different regions, and different cultures. Considering also the recent United Nations declaration and how to implement that. The federal government has legislation, and British Columbia has legislation, but they are still struggling with the implementation. In the NWT, we are already doing imple mentation because we already work in an environment where we have that kind of consultation and engagement. So, I am not concerned about the busi ness savviness and aspects. Our Indige nous governments have modern treaties that are actively implemented, and they include economic chapters that are meant to bring economic prosperity and diversity.
CMJ: Last thoughts from Premier Caroline?
CC: In the NWT, we have been experi encing the impact of the global climate change for many years, but I do not think people in the south have taken it seriously. Now, they are starting to see floods and forest fires, so they are paying more attention to climate change. It is not just our responsibility as the GNWT to deal with that. So, if we are serious about addressing this problem so that many generations to come will still be here, then we need to start talking about the green economy, but you cannot talk about a green economy unless you talk about the mineral resources sector.
I think the federal government has an obligation to help us so that we can access our critical minerals’ reserves. We can be part of the solution to make sure that future generations will have the ability to live. CMJ
“I think the federal government has an obligation to help us so that we can access our critical minerals’ reserves.”
—PREMIER CAROLINE COCHRANE.
Miners are in the unique position of striving to go “green” and exceed ESG standards while providing the resources for the rest of the world to reach net-zero. The pace of change in how we mine has been exponential but much more is still needed.
Building on the success of our first Reimagine Mining symposium, this event will connect delegates with industry leaders on the forefront of these changes. Topics to be discussed include: ESG, Water Management, Automation, De-carbonization, Digitization, and the role of New Technologies. Interact with experts tackling mining’s big challenges and specialists who can shed light on how to implement these solutions.
JOHN MCCLUSKEY
CHRIS
A.J.
Following a 10,700-metre drill program completed in late 2021, Tartisan Nickel (CSE:TN; USOTC:TTSRF) has released a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for its 100%-owned Kenbridge nickel project in northwestern Ontario’s Kenora Mining District. Prepared by P&E Mining Consultants, the PEA outlines a low-cost, 1,500-tonne-per-day operation with a potentially short timeline to production.
The study forecasts a nine-year mine plan for the underground mining operation with pre-production capital costs of $133.7 million and a potential start-up within three and a half years.
The low pre-production capital cost and early start-up potential are attributed to the project’s status as a developed
prospect with reported resources.
It hosts a 622-metre shaft with two working levels that was sunk in 1954 and has sat idle for 64 years. Motivated by the growing demand for battery metals and the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), Tartisan acquired the property in 2018 through a merger with Canadian Arrow Mines.
“We had been looking for an asset to acquire for a few years and came across Canadian Arrow Mines which was trading at a couple of pennies,” recalled Tartisan president and CEO Mark Appleby. “We did some due diligence and put together a deal to take them over through a plan of arrangement. At the time, we were called Tartisan Resources and were a
pure play Peruvian company, but we saw the emergence of the electric vehicle revolution and rebranded as Tartisan Nickel.”
The growing awareness of the need to produce battery metals like nickel in an environmentally responsible way favours sulphide nickel deposits, which use much less energy than laterite deposits in the production process. “The Kenbridge project is a sulphide deposit, so that’s a plus for us,” said Appleby.
The Kenbridge project was discovered in 1937 and acquired by Falconbridge in 1952. Falconbridge began construction of
the shaft two years later, extracted a bulk sample but then suspended work on the property in 1958.
Dean MacEachern, Tartisan’s geological advisor for the project, had a 20-year career with Falconbridge and was aware of the property from his time managing the company’s Winnipeg exploration office. It was MacEachen who picked it up for Canadian Arrow Mines in 2007.
“The Kenbridge project was part of Falconbridge’s package of ground,” said MacEachern. “Back in the 90s, the price of nickel was US$1.90 per pound and these non-core assets got vended out to various junior mining companies, so this property was on my radar for a while.”
The project is located 70 km southeast of Kenora and has a land position encompassing 42 sq km including a mix of patented and unpatented claims. Work currently underway on a 13-km allseason road to the property is scheduled for completion by year end, grid power is within 40 km of the site and a skilled workforce is locally available in Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances and neighbouring Indigenous communities.
Since 1937, the property has been tested by 665 surface and underground drill holes totalling 99,741 metres, including 40,000 metres drilled by Canadian Arrow Mines and 10,000 metres drilled by Tartisan in 2021.
Since 1937, the property has been tested by 665 surface and underground drill holes totalling 99,741 metres
“We drilled at depth and along strike to see if we could go deeper than the historical 823-metre hole that was drilled by Falconbridge years ago,” said Appleby. “We drilled down to 1,000 metres plus and discovered that the mineralization does continue at depth and along strike, so we think this is an expandable deposit. In fact, as a result of this drill campaign, we were able to increase the resource by 20%. We also did geophysics on most of the property, including borehole geophysics down existing drillholes, and drilled four holes at a site we call Kenbridge North, three kilometres away. It has similar geophysical and geological characteristics, so it’s possibly a secondary deposit.”
Tartisan has also budgeted for an additional 8,000 plus metres of drilling to
continue to test the down-dip extension and bring some of the inferred resource into the indicated category.
The PEA, which is focused solely on the current underground mineral resource, reports 3.4 million tonnes of ore at 0.97% nickel, 0.52% copper and 0.013% cobalt in the measured and indicated categories. Inferred mineral resources total 1 million tonnes at 1.47% nickel, 0.67% copper and 0.011% cobalt.
Life of mine revenues from net smelter returns are estimated at $837 million while total capital costs are pegged at $227 million, including $133.7 million to be spent pre-production. The PEA reports an estimated pre-tax net present value of $182.5 million using a 5% discount rate and pre-tax internal rate of return of 26% with payback in 3.5 years.
Kenbridge “is a nickel sulphide, gabbro-hosted deposit similar to deposits that were mined in Lynn Lake, Manitoba by Sherritt Gordon Mines years ago,” said MacEachern. “At the top, it’s more disseminated and as you go deeper into the zone, it gets more semi-massive and massive. It gets narrower but the grade gets better.”
MacEachern adds that one of the advantages of the project is that the existing infrastructure makes for a modest capex. “It’s under $140 million to get started. That compares with a lot of large low-grade deposits that will take $2 billion to get going.”
Given the project’s low initial capex and short lead time to production, “we look at ourselves as low-hanging fruit,” added Appleby.
According to Tartisan management, the combination of higher-grade zones at depth and lower grade ore near surface offers Tartisan the flexibility to adapt t nickel price fluctuations
At one point, the management team looked at the possibility of an open pit at surface but came to the conclusion that optimizing it would negatively impact the shaft, so the decision was made to focus on the higher-grade underground material and leave the surface deposits to sometime in the future.
“There are some underground zones that are higher grade that can be brought into the mining plan early,” said MacEachern. “That will allow us to payback the project in a little more than three years and if the price of
nickel moves up, so much the better. By focusing on the underground, we alleviate risk if the price of nickel goes down to, say, US$6 per pound.”
According to project manager Greg Edwards, Tartisan has strong support from the three First Nations impacted by the project: Naotkamegwanning First Nation, formerly known as the Whitefis Bay First Nation, Northwest Angle #33 First Nation and Northwest Angle #37 First Nation.
“I meet with them regularly to keep them informed. Last year, we invited several of the local First Nations groups to our site for a lunch and learn, took them on a tour and brought them up to speed on what we were planning. There was also a ceremonial blessing by an elder from one of the communities.”
Anticipating an early start to permitting, Tartisan hired Knight Piesold Consulting and Blue Heron Environmental in May to commence baseline environmental work. A second phase of studies began in August and will continue to cover all four seasons.
The decision to get a jump on the environmental studies reflect the company’s “commitment to an approximate three years to production timeline,” said Appleby.
An on-site mill will produce nickel and copper concentrates that will be shipped by rail or truck to Sudbury or another location for further processing. Also accounted for in the PEA’s pre-production capex plan are the refurbishment of the shaft, the installation of underground infrastructure, and the excavation of 13,000 metres of lateral development.
“Although built in the early 50s and currently flooded, the shaft in very goo shape,” said MacEachern. “We dropped a camera down to the bottom and confimed that it’s in fine condition. Th idea would be to slash the shaft out to be able to handle the tonnages we’re looking at. We figue it will take about eight months to get it set up to haul ore. The big advantage for us is that we already have a hole in the ground.” n
The preceding Joint-Venture Article is PROMOTED CONTENT sponsored by Tartisan Nickel Corp and produced in cooperation with MINING.com. Visit https:// tartisannickel.com/ for more information.
Bradford Cooke, founder and chair of Aztec Minerals, Canarc Resource and Endeavour Silver, passed away at the age of 67. He was an accomplished geologist with nearly five decades of experience. As an entrepreneur, he led the way to discover, develop and operate several successful projects. He earned a reputation as an eternal optimist trying to shape the world for the greater good with constructive hard work. Cooke also served as president of the Silver Institute.
Alamos Gold named Luc Guimond to succeed COO Peter MacPhail, who is retiring. Guimond has nearly 35 years of experience in operations management, project management, mine construction and corporate development in Canada and Australia. He joined the company’s predecessor in 2006 as manager of the YoungDavidson gold project in Ontario and was later named executive general manager of Australian operations. His early career included senior positions with Noranda, Hemlo Gold, Battle Mountain, and Newmont.
Newmont named Peter Toth chief strategy and sustainability officer following the retirement of Stephen Gottesfeld. Toth brings more than 25 years of experience in the resources industry across various commodities. He has held senior strategic, commercial, and operational roles across Europe, Singapore, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Most recently, he led Rio Tinto’s corporate strategy for business development, M&A, strategic partnerships, climate and sustainability strategy, closure, and exploration.
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