Canadian Mining Journal October 2021 by The Northern Miner Group

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mining ORE SORTING GAINS TRACTION QUEBEC EYES PLACE IN NORTH AMERICAN BATTERY SUPPLY CHAIN OCTOBER 2021 | www.canadianminingjournal.com | PM # 40069240

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OCTOBER 2021 VOL. 142, NO.8

CLEAN MINING 12 Ore sorting gains traction as miners look to reduce their environmental

impact.

17 Quebec vies for top spot in North American battery supply chain – including the vital recycling component.

25 How new solutions in equipment and technology are lowering GHGs and changing the future of mining.

WATER MANAGEMENT 22 Five things you need to know about modern ‘passive’ bioreactors.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE & REPAIR

28 The fundamentals of rotary drum maintenance.

DEPARTMENTS

4 EDITORIAL | Recycling’s role in the energy transtion. 5 LAW | David Bursey and Deidre Sheehan of Bennett Jones on the implications stemming from the recent Ermineskin decision to the duty to consult.

6 CSR & MINING | Carolyn Burns of NetPositive shares ideas on how strategic communications can set the stage for effective stakeholder management. 8 UNEARTHING TRENDS | EY’s Patrick Bertrand-Daoust discusses Quebec’s role in the global energy transition.

10 FAST NEWS | Updates from across the mining ecosystem. 32 ON THE MOVE | Tracking executive, management and board changes in Canada’s mining sector.

www.canadianminingjournal.com OCTOBER 2021

About the cover: Kevin Ducharme, environmental coordinator, takes a water sample near Nouveau Monde Graphite’s Matawinie project in Quebec. CREDIT: NOUVEAU MONDE GRAPHITE

Coming in November 2021 Canadian Mining Journal looks at underground construction and tunnelling. Plus a feature report on mine ventilation.

For More Information

Please visit www.canadianminingjournal.com for regular updates on what’s happening with Canadian mining companies and their personnel both here and abroad. A digital version of the magazine is also available at www.digital.canadianminingjournal.com

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 3

FROM THE EDITOR OCTOBER 2021 Vol. 142 – No. 8

Recycling’s role in the energy transition Alisha Hiyate

he transition to a zero carbon economy has begun to accelerate and the mining industry is fortunate to play a starring role in it. This year Canada moved up its zero-emissions target for all new cars and light-duty passenger trucks sold in the country by five years to 2035 – matching the ambitious target set previously by Quebec. The federal government also made the target mandatory, instead of voluntary as it had originally been. Meanwhile, the United States wants 50% of vehicles sold in the country to be zero-emissions by 2030. And like the European Union, both Canada and the U.S. have pledged to reach overall carbon neutrality by 2050. Lithium-ion batteries are a key technology to help achieve these goals. But where will all the lithium, graphite, nickel and cobalt needed to produce them come from? The Global Battery Alliance, a public-private initiative of the World Economic Forum that aims to establish a sustainable and circular battery value chain, projects that global battery demand will grow by 25% annually to reach 2,600 Gwh in 2030. Looking further ahead, business intelligence firm IHS Markit estimates 9.3 million tonnes of lithium, 55 million tonnes of nickel, and 9.8 million tonnes of cobalt will be needed between 2020 and 2050 to meet global demand. The fact is that demand for battery minerals is likely to outstrip supply – especially given the long development time for a new mine. Sustainability and security of supply concerns that are encouraging battery manufacturers to build local supply chains and decrease reliance on China add another layer of complexity to the issue. It’s becoming clearer that to meet the coming demand for battery minerals, we don’t just need more mines. We also need more recycling. Currently, an estimated 1.3 million tonnes per year of raw battery materials is recycled across the globe, according to IHS Markit. But the company projects that market will need to grow to 3.5 million t/year by 2030 to keep up with demand for EV batteries. The good news is a significant portion of future demand can be met through recycling. IHS estimates 48% of lithium demand, 47% of nickel, and 60% of cobalt demand between 2020 and 2050 can be met through recycling. And recycling methods are advancing, with hydrometallurgical processes being used to recover more battery materials. Quebec is emerging as a leader on this front, and in this issue focused on “Clean Mining,” we look at the province’s efforts to establish itself as a North American leader in battery manufacturing and in battery recycling (see page 17). In keeping with the topics of clean mining and innovation, CMJ would like to invite you to our virtual Suppliers Symposium, set for Oct. 13-14. Under the theme “Reimagine Mining,” we’ll be looking at real solutions for the mining industry as it is challenged to deliver more of the minerals the world needs under increasingly high social and environmental standards. We hope to see you there along with keynote speakers Tony Makuch, president and CEO of Kirkland Lake Gold, and George Hemingway, managing partner and head of innovation practice at Stratalis. For more details, visit the Events section of our website. CMJ

4 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

225 Duncan Mill Rd. Suite 320, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3K9 Tel. (416) 510-6789 Fax (416) 510-5138 www.canadianminingjournal.com Editor-in-Chief Alisha Hiyate 416-510-6742 ahiyate@canadianminingjournal.com Twitter: @Cdn_Mining_Jrnl Interim News Editor Marilyn Scales mscales@canadianminingjournal.com Production Manager Jessica Jubb jjubb@glacierbizinfo.com Art Director Barbara Burrows Advisory Board David Brown (Golder Associates) Michael Fox (Indigenous Community Engagement) Scott Hayne (Redpath Canada) Gary Poxleitner (SRK) Manager of Product Distribution Allison Mein 403-209-3515 amein@glacierrig.com Publisher & Sales Robert Seagraves 416-510-6891 rseagraves@canadianminingjournal.com Sales, Western Canada George Agelopoulos 416-510-5104 gagelopoulos@northernminer.com Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-888-502-3456 ext 2 or 43734 Circulation Toll Free Canada & U.S.A.: 1-888-502-3456 ext 3 Group Publisher Anthony Vaccaro Established 1882

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. Canadian Mining Journal (ISSN 0008-4492) is published 10 times a year by Glacier Resource Innovation Group (GRIG). GRIG is located at 225 Duncan Mill Rd., Ste. 320, Toronto, ON, M3B 3K9. Phone (416) 510-6891. Legal deposit: National Library, Ottawa. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may be used only for your personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make use of any of this material you must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyright. For further information please contact Robert Seagraves at 416-510-6891. Subscriptions – Canada: $51.95 per year; $81.50 for two years. USA: US$64.95 per year. Foreign: US$77.95 per year. Single copies: Canada $10; USA and foreign: US$10. Canadian subscribers must add HST and Provincial tax where necessary. HST registration # 809744071RT001. From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-888-502-3456 ext 3; E-mail: amein@glacierrig.com Mail to: Allison Mein, 225 Duncan Mill Rd., Ste 320, Toronto, ON M3B 3K9 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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LAW

Ermineskin decision involving Coalspur mine adds novel twist to the duty to consult By David Bursey and Deirdre Sheehan

he recent Federal Court decision in the Ermineskin Cree Nation v. Canada case added a new twist to the Crown’s duty to consult with Indigenous nations. The court decided the rown must consider the benefits an Indigenous nation may lose as a result of a decision – in this case the loss of the economic, community and social benefits flowing from impact benefit agreements I As associated with a mine development. he case involved the oalspur ista mine phase I and phase II projects near inton, Alta., and the federal government decisions related to the environmental assessment of those projects. hese oalspur projects have a complicated history.

sion, but not on the second despite the minister being aware of oalspur agreements with it and other Indigenous nations. In une , anada released its olicy tatement on the future of thermal coal mining projects and project e pansions. n the same day, the environment minister notified oalspur that “it is clear to me that the effects within federal jurisdiction likely to be caused by the rojects cannot be in the public interest.” emarkably, the minister added that his opinion does not prevent oalspur from seeking assessment under the IAA. his event occurred while the court was deliberating on the case.

Approval, production – and an about face

challenged the minister s uly decision to designate the and phase II projects as reviewable, arguing that the rown failed to consult with them on the impact of that decision. rmineskin has two I As with oalspur related to the ista developments. Accordingly, they argued that the minister had a duty to consult with them before deciding to designate. The court agreed and set aside the minister’s designation of the two projects, so they are not currently subject to IAA. he court observed “ ot only was there no consultation at all, but I find was ine plicably fro en out of this very one sided process for whatever reason the Agency and inister decided to hear only from Indigenous voices seeking the Designation rder.” he ederal ourt s decision adds a novel twist to duty to consult. he court decided that the important and valuable benefits established in the I As as compensation for potential impacts on Aboriginal and reaty rights are entitled to the protection through the honour of the Crown and the related duty to consult because “they are closely related to and derivative from the underlying Aboriginal or reaty rights.” The Ermineskin case confirms that the rown must be take a “generous, purposive” approach in consultation. his approach includes consulting with Indigenous nations even if their views do not align with the government s policy views. It also confirms the importance of establishing good relationships and agreements with Indigenous nations when pursuing projects in or near their territory. CMJ

oalspur received provincial approval of ista mine phase I a surface coalmine in . he project did not require any federal approval so no federal assessment was required under the Canadian Environment Assessment Act. oalspur started coal production in and then proposed an e pansion to the west phase II , and still later, in , a test underground mine at the phase I ista site as an alternative mining method to the open pit method. In , cojustice and other s requested that the inister of nvironment and limate hange designate phase II as reviewable under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. While the Impact Assessment Agency was reviewing the request, the Impact Assessment Act IAA came into force in August as the applicable federal regime, so the review transitioned to the IAA. he agency reported to the minister that phase II should not be designated as reviewable. In December , the minister agreed, emphasi ing that the provincial regulatory regime would comprehensively consider and address any adverse effects, including any impacts to Aboriginal rights. In ay , co ustice, other Indigenous nations and various others requested that the environment minister designate both phase II and projects for review. he Impact Assessment Agency re analy ed the designation of the projects and reached the same conclusion as before, noting the incremental impacts of were negligible. In uly , despite the agency s analysis, the minister designated the projects for review. he court characteri ed this action as “a complete about face.” rmineskin ree ation was consulted on the first deciOCTOBER 2021

Ermineskin challenge

DAVID BURSEY is a partner and co-head of the Aboriginal Law Practice at Bennett Jones in Vancouver. DEIRDRE SHEEHAN is a partner and co-head of the Aboriginal Law Practice at Bennett Jones in Calgary. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 5

CSR & MINING

How strategic communications set the stage for effective stakeholder engagement By Carolyn Burns

takeholder engagement is an integral part of achieving sustained positive outcomes for mining impacted communities. Engagement refers to the two-way relationship building between representatives of different stakeholder groups. In the mining context, this often includes the relationship between a company’s social performance (or community relations) team, local government representatives and other community representatives. Effective engagement can take many forms and should happen with a broad set of community representatives. Because we want to focus on the relationship building aspect of engagement, we rarely talk about the integral role that ‘communications’ play. Communications refer to the one-way sharing of information. It is important because clear and accessible communication about key topics can set the stage for effective engagement. It can provide stakeholders with the information they need to feel comfortable and confident when they engage with mining representatives. Effective communications can also reach a broader set of local stakeholders than regular engagement. Especially in early exploration or if the community is large, mining representatives can’t engage with every single person in the community. Information sharing with the wider community can influence their general perceptions and opinions of the sites. To make sure your communications are supporting effective local engagement consider the following.

1. Audience. Who is the information for? Local stakeholders can be very broad and diverse. Information should be geared at government representatives and leadership as well as a broader set of community groups. A quick stakeholder map can help you identify the various groups at a local level that you may want to include in your audience. 2. Content. What is included in the communications? Communications should focus on several key topics and include the company’s approach and/or strategy, evidence of the company’s performance as well as stories about milestones or events. Communications should cover: > Updates on site activity. This can include major changes or milestones, progress to manage impacts, as well as regular updates on exploration and operational activities. This can also include blasting schedules and tra c schedules. Any changes to operations (especially when they will have an

6 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

impact on local stakeholders) should only be done after consultation and input with community representatives. However, regular information about what is happening onsite provides stakeholders with information and transparency that give them confidence in the company s approach and builds trust. Regular updates on impact management, especially those related to environmental impacts, provide local stakeholders with valuable information that will affect how they engage with the environment. For example, regular water monitoring will give communities confidence that they can continue to use water sources safely. > The company’s approach to engagement. Providing clarity on the site’s engagement strategy and how stakeholders can get in touch can open up engagement opportunities. This can allow communities to be more proactive in how they build relationships with site representatives. It also allows local stakeholders to hold the company accountable, which contributes to trust building. This type of communications can include information about grievance mechanism, summary of who the site social performance or community relations team is and the best way to reach them, a calendar of events and planned engagement activities. This type of communication may also include updates on community agreements and other mechanisms that are in place to build relationships between the site and community representatives. > Hiring and procurement opportunities. Local stakeholders need clear and regular updates on the opportunities for local stakeholders to benefit from mining activity through hiring and procurement. This can also include the sites approach to local content, opportunities for training as well as targets and monitoring data for local content. The site can go beyond hiring and procurement and include information about community investments, taxes and royalties and other ways the site contributes to the local area. > Incidents. When an incident occurs, local stakeholders need clear communications that include the facts about what happened, what the site and other stakeholders are doing to manage the impacts, and what actions will follow. They also need to know what the impacts of the incident will be (e.g., after a spill should they stop using water sourcing). Clear

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information about incidents can be challenging if there are legal considerations, but are a very important way of providing stakeholders with information and avoiding undue panic or concern. 3. Channels. Where is the information available? Local stakeholders often use different channels than regional or corporate stakeholders. Some of the channels that a site can consider include: > Social media. Many local communities have Facebook groups that are either community based, or even focused on mining activities. WhatsApp groups are a growing method for sharing information with a broad group of people. > Announcements in local media. Include announcements or statement in local newspapers, and local radio shows. Posters in community centres, grocery stores or community bulletin broads are also effective. 4. Timing. When is the information available? Some information like the site’s approach to engagement or an in-depth report only need to be updated once a year. Other information like hiring and procurement may be updated more regularly. Be careful not to start a cadence with communications if you’re

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not able to keep it up. For example, don’t start a Facebook page and provide monthly posts if it’s going to sit dormant after four months. 5. Tone. How does the information make the audience feel? Communications for local stakeholders should be written in a tone that resonates with the intended audience. This can include providing information in a specific language or using certain local terms. It can also include the general tone or style (e.g., not using legal jargon and centring on the community instead of the company). Another way to ensure communications have the right tone is to work with a partner. Especially when communicating data, consider partnering with a local group that can give credibility and confidence to the information. At the end of the day, any effective engagement plan should include information sharing. Strategic communications for local stakeholders give people information that builds confidence in the company and helps the company reach a broader group of people. CMJ CAROLYN BURNS is director of operations at NetPositive, a non-profit that works with diverse stakeholders to help local communities see sustained positive outcomes from mining (www.netpositivenr.org).

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UNEARTHING TRENDS

Making Quebec a key accelerator of the global energy transition By Patrick Bertrand-Daoust

anada has a big goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. That transition is going to require the collective effort of all sectors to enable their energy transitions and strategically work towards building cleaner, more prosperous products and operations. But turning those plans into reality will heavily rely on the mining and metals sector to provide the raw materials needed to reach ambitious goals. And with the target date around the corner, demand is coming quick. Major investment in mine production will be needed to meet this growing demand. While China has the lead in the global battery supply chain – accounting for almost half of new lithium hydro ide projects this year and significant market share of the world’s nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate – there’s an enormous opportunity on Canadian soil that cannot be overlooked. The province of Quebec is in an optimal position to build on its existing ecosystem, backed by government support, and create a prosperous environment to help North America become a more independent supplier of raw materials. Between hydroelectric dams supplying cheap and clean energy, a competitive tax system, access to critical and strategic minerals, and ability to attract available talent, the province already has a number of facets in place to make it an attractive destination for investment – both for mining and metals companies, as well as the businesses they supply. On top of these factors, the government of Quebec is increasingly recognizing the region s potential and has started to make significant investments in supporting the sustainable production of critical mineral projects in the province through the Quebec Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals 2020-2025. This is a great opportunity for mining and metals companies, which we re already seeing some first movers capture. Sayona Quebec, for example, recently announced its purchase of North American Lithium, which will be integrated with its own Authier project, creating the Abitibi lithium hub. U.S. company KoBold Metals has secured exploration rights to search for cobalt in the northern part of the province. And companies are flocking to reap the benefits of new production. In the spring, Lion Electric announced the construction of its battery manufacturing plant and innovation centre in Mirabel. While Nouveau Monde Graphite, a company working towards developing a fully-integrated source of green battery anode material, recently launched construction work for its flagship atawinie graphite mining project.

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But with any great opportunity comes great risk. While the Quebec ecosystem is ripe for growth and expansion, mining and metals companies looking to capitalize will need to prepare to address a number of factors to enable its full, longterm success. The northern location of many of Quebec’s critical and strategic minerals can present big challenges for miners suffering from high costs and capital constraints today. On the one hand, the lack of infrastructure makes it di cult to travel and access remote geographies. And while there are plans to improve multi-user strategic infrastructure, current barriers could lead to construction overruns and rising costs – the third risk identified in s op business risks and opportunities report. anaging these costs can be di cult. In addition to ta measures related to exploration and development, the government of Quebec is committed to spending $90 million in the region. till, with the risks associated with greenfield projects, securing su cient capital to set up operations and advance substantial exploration projects could be a challenge for many companies. On the other hand, Quebec mine sites can expose companies to greater stakeholder and environmental concerns. To meet the high standards of environmental protection, as well as promote the social acceptability of projects, it will be critical for companies to take a holistic approach to community considerations and allocate time and capital to projects that deliver meaningful shared value for companies and stakeholders alike – including constant review of processes and policies, and engagement with Indigenous peoples. Despite the risks, it would be a shame to let the train pass without jumping on board. While it could still be a few years, Quebec is shaping up to be a strategic destination for raw materials and minerals that will support the acceleration of the green energy transition and make Canada a global leader in environmental, social and governance initiatives. Exploring the potential opportunities the province has to offer now, can help companies position themselves to reap future benefits of an evolving energy and natural resources economy, against both local and global competitors. CMJ PATRICK BERTRAND-DAOUST is the East Mining & Metals Leader at EY Canada, based in Montréal.

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FAST NEWS • TRADE SHOW |

Updates from across the mining ecosytem

MINExpo returns with 22,000 registered delegates

After a year-long delay, MINExpo 2021 – the mining industry s first big in person event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic – took place in Las Vegas on Sept. 13-15. The massive three-day expo of the latest in mining equipment and technology usually takes place every four years, and was originally scheduled for eptember 2020. With Covid travel restrictions still in place, attendance has been markedly lower this year. The organizer, the National Mining Association (NMA) said there were 22,000 registered attendees from 30 countries at the convention, and , e hibitors at this year s event. hat compares with 44,000 delegates from 130 countries and , e hibitors in 2016. Miners come to MINExpo looking for solutions aimed at improving productivity, safety and sustainability. his year s show was focused on mining automation, electrification and digital transformation. CMJ

• TECHNOLOGY |

MINExpo 2021. CREDIT: CMJ; INSET: MINEXPO/NATIONAL MINING ASSOCIATION

Sandvik launches new solutions at MINExpo

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions introduced innovative new products and services and showcased some of its latest technologies last month at MINExpo , including battery driven equipment to enable emission free underground mining and help customers improve sustainability and profitability. Sandvik is continuing to strengthen its electric equipment range, unveiling andvik , its latest ton battery-electric truck. The new truck features Sandvik’s patented self-swapping battery system, including the Auto wap and AutoConnect functions, for improved availability and safety. andvik

10 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

also virtually introduced Toro LH514BE, an Auto ine compatible cable electric loader, boosted with cutting edge battery technology. The Sandvik LH518B – the industry s largest battery electric loader was displayed, and the Sandvik DS412iE, the company s first battery powered rock bolter was introduced. he company has noted electric equipment could account for more than half its underground mining equipment sales by . New rock tools displayed at MINExpo include Sandvik’s Tundo RH650 DTH hammer, which can reduce fuel consumption by up to while increasing penetration rates by up to .

The company also introduced its Remote Monitoring Service at MINExpo, a robust solution that analy es underground mining equipment data to identify abnormalities and develop predictive solutions to increase uptime and reduce operating costs. On the surface drilling side, the OEM showcased its Sandvik DR410i rotary blasthole drill rig, eopard DI i down the-hole drill rig and Pantera DP1600i top hammer drill rig, part of the Top Hammer XL system. Booth visitors also had the chance to learn about Auto ine urface Drilling s new Auto ycle, which enables a fully autonomous drilling cycle. CMJ

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• EQUIPMENT |

Caterpillar unveils latest tech; works with Rio Tinto on zero-emissions autonomous truck Caterpillar unveiled its latest advancements in safety, sustainability and technology at I po in a , sq. ft. e hibit. he three day e po also celebrated aterpillar s collaboration with mines and the company’s commitment to its customers with the theme, “Together, We’re Mining Better.” he e hibit was grouped under three areas sustainability, technology and automation, and equipment lifecycle management solutions. ighlights included > The world’s largest, most powerful and e cient electric drive do er with high drive. he new at D do er will be the most advanced, most e cient do er in the industry, built to give owners a lower cost of material moved. > The new Cat R1700 XE LHD underground loader features battery electric propulsion that generates significantly less heat and noise. It offers a 16.5-ton payload and 11.2 mph top speed. he company also showcased its broad range of renewable and storable power solutions, and a Cat MineStar stage.

CAT D11 XE dozer. CREDIT: CATERPILLAR

Nuna Group of Companies

Zero-emissions autonomous truck

Separately, Caterpillar and Rito Tinto announced that they are partnering on a program to pilot, test and complete preproduction trials on a propotype Cat 793 zeroemissions autonomous truck. It is anticipated that the world s first operational deployment of approximately 35 new Caterpillar 793 zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks will be at io into s udai Darri iron ore mine, in the ilbara, Western Australia. “ ur ambition to reach net ero emissions across our operations is a priority. eaching this ambition will require new and innovative solutions and partnerships with supplier partners like Caterpillar. This collaboration represents a small but important step on that journey,” Rio Tinto’s chief commercial o cer Alf arrios said in release. “We look forward to working together to validate these zero-emissions haul trucks in just a few years’ time.” In June, Rio Tinto announced it would deploy the world s first fully autonomous water truck also a at machine at udai Darri. Rio Tinto is assessing multiple project scopes for udai Darri hase . CMJ

• All-Weather Roads & Runways • Contract Mining • Dams & Frozen Core Dams • Dikes • Earthworks & Site Development • Exploration Support

• Ice Roads & Runways • Mine Reclamation – Care & Maintenance • Remote Infrastructure Planning • Site Services & Crushing • Vertical Cutter Mining

With files from mining.com. OCTOBER 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 11

CLEAN MINING

hen senior management of Vital Metals, an Australian company, went looking for rare earth deposits to develop, one of the deciding factors in their shortlisting exercise was each property’s suitability for particle ore sorting. The Nechalacho project in the Northwest Territories met all of the company’s requirements. Aside from being a quality resource in a politically stable jurisdiction, test work confirmed that particle ore sorting using X-ray transmission sensors would be able to separate the quartz host rock from the bastnaesite ore. Particle ore separation was important because of the technology’s ability to reduce Nechalacho’s footprint, says David Connelly, vice-president, govern-

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ment and corporate affairs of Cheetah Resources, Vital Metals subsidiary and operator of Nechalacho. “In today’s world – and particularly when you are extracting resources for the green economy – you have to behave in an environmentally sound manner and sensor-based sorting has a much lower impact on the environment than other methods of beneficiation,” he said in an interview in August. China’s control of the rare earth market and its history of dropping prices to squeeze out high and middle cost producers also drove the decision to go with an ore sorting solution. “The previous developer of the property – Avalon Advanced Materials – based

its bankable feasibility study on a traditional concentrator costing hundreds of millions of dollars,” said onnelly. heetah, which has only acquired Nechalacho’s near surface resource, opted for a simple open pit, seasonal mining operation with a footprint less than 5% of the size of a traditional concentrator and costing less than $12 million. Cheetah began production at the smallscale operation this summer. Crushed material at Nechalacho is introduced to the ore sorter via a conveyor belt and identified as either ore or waste by X-ray transmission sensors. The sorter maps the particles containing ore and engages selected air injectors to propel them into a separate ore stream.

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Bastnaesite REE ore coming oﬀ the TOMRA sorting circuit at Nechalacho.

CREDIT: CHEETAH RESOURCES/BILLBRADENPHOTO

Sorting IT OUT

Ore sorting gains traction as miners look to cut their environmental impact By Norm Tollinsky

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There are no tailings, no chemicals, much less energy and water used, and the waste rock from the sorter can be used as aggregate for road building. The high-grade bastnaesite product from the sorter will be shipped for furOCTOBER 2021

ther processing to askatoon and final separation into rare earth elements by REEtec in Norway. Following the exhaustion of the near surface resource at Nechalacho, Cheetah plans to mine two recently acquired properties in Quebec using particle ore sorting technology. Ore sorting was of great assistance in addressing the concerns that Indigenous groups had about the potential impact on the land and water, noted Connelly. “In the Northwest Territories, you don’t even make it in front of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board unless you satisfy all the concerns of the impacted irst ations.” A TOMRA ore sorter was delivered to

Nechalacho, 100 km southeast of Yellowknife over a 138-km ice road from Yellowknife in March. Mining began June 29th by the Det’on Cho Nahanni Construction Corp., owned by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. The sorter itself is also operated by Indigenous personnel.

Mainstream acceptance

TOMRA Mining, a Norwegian company and market leader in particle ore sorting, says it has approximately 180 ore sorters deployed around the world, including close to 50 in North America. According to Harold Cline, TOMRA’s area sales manager for TOMRA Mining, particle ore sorting is equally applicable CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 13

CLEAN MINING for both greenfield and brownfield operations. “ here aren t many greenfield projects that don’t at least consider ore sorting from the onset,” he said. “ ven during exploration, we’re starting to get drill core to work with to see if there’s a possible sorting solution. We can also help with brownfield projects by sorting through old stockpiles when companies are running across life of mine problems and grades are getting low, so there are a lot of applications and I think it’s becoming much more mainstream.” The mining industry’s acceptance of particle ore sorting is also being driven by engineering companies like Metso Outotec. “Separating ore from waste rock as early and as e ciently as possible is essential in mineral processing,” said Guillaume Lambert, Metso Outotec’s vice-president, crushing. “The best result can be achieved by combining state-ofthe-art crushing systems with advanced ore sorting. The combination of Metso Outotec’s crushing know-how and TOMRA’s particle ore sorting expertise is an excellent match, providing substantial

Mine manager Clarence Pyke and sorter operator Jeremy Catholique at the Tomra’s computer control panel. CREDIT: CHEETAH RESOURCES/BILLBRADENPHOTO

benefits to our customers.” Sensor-based sorting is well established in diamond mining operations, but is also being used for a wide range of other commodities, including rare earth elements, gold, tungsten, salt and phosphate. “Gold is an interesting case because in some circumstances sorting can be very beneficial,” said line. “In other cases, we

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14 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

would point companies away from sorting. The onus is on us as the sorting vendor to demonstrate to the customer that we can achieve their objectives. Gold deposits are very complicated and even individual deposits vary, so we are very careful with our test work for gold.”

X-Ray transmission sorting

Ore sorters can’t easily identify gold bearing particles as they re flying by the sensors because it’s often so disseminated. Instead, TOMRA relies on associations with quartz or pyrite mineralization. Metallurgical testing for Osisko Development’s Cariboo gold project in British Columbia, for example, has demonstrated that the mineralization can be effectively upgraded by flotation and ay transmission ore sorting owing to the strong association of gold with pyrite. X-Ray transmission sensors classify particles based on their specific atomic density and are used in 80% of TOMRA’s ore sorting applications, but several other sensors are also used to classify material based on their colour, near-infrared spectrum profile and conductivity. aser sensors, which classify particles according to colour and pattern, are used in tandem to look at both sides of the rocks as they descend through a chute. The test work for Cheetah Resources was performed at the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in Saskatoon, which has been doing test work for ore sorting for many years and finally acquired its very own TOMRA ore sorter in January. “Cheetah is a great example of ore sorting because the more waste rock you can

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get out prior to processing, the better,” said SRC business development manager Lucinda Wood. TOMRA ore sorters can work with run of mine material as large as 25 cm in size to separate out obvious chunks of rock for further crushing. It can also work with particles as small as 1 mm in diameter. ne ore sorter was su cient for heetah Resources, but some companies require multiple sorters to achieve the desired results.

Cost savings

Maaden Phosphates in Saudi Arabia operates the largest sorting plant in the world with nine TOMRA sorters, says Cline. “They use nine gigantic 2.4-metre wide sorters. Four are dedicated to working with small particle sizes. Three work with medium-size particles and a couple work with large particles.” The Saudi Arabian operation reports that particle ore sorting allows it to use

OCTOBER 2021

less water. Its flotation plant is smaller, its crushing and milling costs are significant lower and , respectively – and it saves $10 million per year on reagents. Bulk ore sorting, another sensor-based sorting technology, can also remove waste early in the process and is suitable for deposits of geological heterogeneity in which there are large areas of waste and other areas of disseminated ore, explained the SRC’s Wood. “You can make sure that these large areas of waste don’t go to the plant, whereas in particle ore sorting, you’re seeing heterogeneity on a particle basis and removing waste from the mineralized ore on a particle level,” she e plained.

HydroFloat

Eriez Manufacturing offers another ore sorting technology called HydroFloat, which employs a variation of flotation technology based on the use of coarser

material and a liquid fluidi ed bed. “ onventional flotation has a fundamental limitation,” e plains ric Wasmund, vice president, global flotation. “It only works in a certain size range, so if it s too fine, it won t float, or if it s too coarse it won t float.” Wasmund says there s a significant amount of ore that is not recovered. And from an environmental point of view, the extent of grinding is higher than it needs to be, which requires more energy and produces fine tails that are potentially geotechnically unstable for long-term storage. Using copper as a benchmark, Eriez has found that between 10-15% of mined copper goes through the entire flow sheet and ends up going to tails. here are two coarse particle flotation flow sheets where the ydro loat is being used: tails scavenging and coarse gangue rejection. The former intercepts the material that would end up as waste, CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 15

CLEAN MINING recovering up to half of the copper that would otherwise be lost. Newcrest’s Cadia mine in New South Wales is using a HydroFloat tails scavenging solution and Anglo American’s uellaveco greenfield copper operation now under construction in Peru will be deploying it to treat 100% of the concentrator tails. Waste material of 500 to 600 microns – the size of beach sand – is much easier to dewater than slimes containing much finer particles, and also it is more stable. This allows mining operations to recover the water and have dry tailings that are geotechnically stable and safer. “There are parts of the world like the Atacama desert in Chile where water resources are very limited, so being able to recycle the water is a huge advantage,” said Wasmund. he coarse gangue rejection flow sheet removes coarse gangue instead of sending it to conventional flotation, so that is how it is akin to an ore sorting technology. “ sing a fluidi ed bed you can float something that is twice the size, so instead of grinding so fine, we can grind it coarse,” Wasmund says.

Eriez coarse particle recovery plant in a copper-gold tailings scavenging application.

CREDIT: ERIEZ

The very coarse ore will be recovered. What’s left is waste and bypasses the rest of the concentrator, being rejected at a coarse size of 500 to 600 microns, he says.

“The material that goes to conventional flotation is greatly reduced because you’ve removed thirty to forty per cent of it at an early stage.” rie has more than installed commercial-scale HydroFloat deployments around the world and is in engineering and piloting stages for 10 large scale copper projects, each of which would have at least six units. Each of the ore sorting options currently available can contribute to reducing the deleterious impacts of mining on the environment, facilitating social licence to operate and certifying companies as compliant with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. “We know there’s an increasing demand for metals to build out the backbone of the new green economy,” said Wasmund. To be seen as part of this economy, “the mining industry has to be serious about finding ways to e tract these metals more responsibly and e ciently.” CMJ Norm Tollinsky is a freelance journalist and former editor of Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal.

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CLEAN MINING

> By Alisha Hiyate

QUEBEC

powers up TO MEET BATTERY DEMAND

Provincial critical metals plan includes focus on recycling, circular economy

ouveau Monde Graphite plans to build its Matawinie graphite mine in aint ichel des aints, km north of Montreal, Que. as a zero-emissions mine. This is already a big deal, considering large electric haul trucks the company needs aren’t yet commercially available (it’s working with equipment manufacturer Caterpillar to have a complete electrified fleet ready before year five of the operation . ut considering that most of its production will be aimed at the electric vehicle market a sector that’s a crucial part of the global energy transition away from fossil fuels this Matawinie has a mine life of 25.5 years, with production expected in 2023. CREDIT: NOUVEAU MONDE GRAPHITE OCTOBER 2021

makes perfect sense. However, the company is also going a step further. Realizing that the volume of battery metals needed is far greater than reserves, the junior is already planning to incorporate graphite recycled from spent lithium ion batteries into its product. f all of the five key battery minerals graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese demand is projected to grow most strongly for graphite. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has estimated demand for natural flake graphite will grow by by to . million tonnes, up from , tonnes in . Nouveau Monde president and CEO Eric Desaulniers says that to electrify all billion cars that now e ist, we would

need around million tonnes of processed graphite over the ne t years or so. “That’s more than all the reserves discovered in the history of humanity. We need to recycle that million tonnes in the market at some point because it’s a non-renewable resource,” he says. In June, Nouveau Monde and fellow Quebec company Lithion Recycling announced a collaboration for the recovery and reuse of graphite from lithium-ion batteries. (Lithion has developed an innovative hydrometallugical process to recycle batteries and recover of the materials.) “In our case a lot of our value creation comes from the processing of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 17

CLEAN MINING Left: Operators bag natural ﬂake graphite concentrate at Nouveau Monde Graphite’s demonstration plant.

CREDIT: NOUVEAU MONDE GRAPHITE

Below: Natural ﬂake graphite, 97% pure. CREDIT: NOUVEAU MONDE GRAPHITE

material and as everyone knows, a mine has a finite life,” says Desaulniers. “It makes a lot of sense to try to incorporate the most recycled material as possible in the processing step to e tend the mine life of a deposit... y doing so we re not only helping the planet, but it’s good for the business.” Nouveau Monde isn’t the only one thinking about the role of recycled metals in meeting the burgeoning demand for battery metals. In the EU, proposed regulations would require a certain proportion of recycled content in lithium ion batteries by . That has put recycling on the radar for battery manufacturers,

18 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

automakers, other governments and investors. While there are no similar regulations yet in North America, they are likely to follow. . . resident oe iden s billion plan for mass adoption of EVs also aims at building battery capacity in the U.S. and North America, including recycling of battery materials. With the consensus being that we need a huge increase in the supply of battery metals, recycling will be needed to supplement mined supply, says Mitchell Smith, a director of the Battery Metals Association of Canada (BMAC) and president and CEO of TSX Venture-listed Global Energy Metals.

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Right: Shredded battery materials. CREDIT: LITHION RECYCLING

Bottom left: Black mass extracted from lithium ion batteries contains lithium, nickel, cobalt and other materials. CREDIT: LITHION RECYCLING

“I think it’s going to be a critical component to being able to secure enough supply for what’s projected on the demand side,” he said. “Critical and strategic metals do come with a footprint when they re e tracted from the ground, so recycling is an important way to give some of the battery materials a second life.”

Recycling landscape

As adoption of s rises, there will be a flood of spent lithium ion batteries that could end up in landfill if they are not reused or recyled. y , there are e pected to be more than milOCTOBER 2021

lion tonnes worth in the U.S. alone. Some recycling of lithium ion batteries does take place now, but it is focused on cobalt and nickel, which are the most economic metals to recover. The smelting process is also energy-intensive and polluting, and yields a lower quality product that can’t be used for the battery market without further processing. Lithium, graphite and other components are lost in the process. A number of startups, such Anjou, Que.-based Lithion Recycling and Toronto-based Li Cycle, are developing recycling processes based on hydrometallurgy. Recycling has certain advantages over mining, which requires a lot of concentrating to get ore that starts at to the lithium carbonate or lithium hydro ide stage, says ithion s business development manager, Jean-Christophe Lambert. “ he level of comple ity and cost involved is much higher,” he says. “The beauty of recycling is you start with a product that s already e tremely pure. It s in the right form. It s just a matter of how can you recuperate it properly with an operating cost that makes sense, then can return it to the proper form at the end.” ithion has proven its technology, which recovers of battery materials, by dismantling and recycling batteries of all shapes and si es over the past months at its t y pilot plant in Anjou. “ ach battery pack that comes in is different different design, different chemistries so it s important for us to do a proper evaluation of that product specifically,” ambert notes. Those batteries included some supplied for testing by automaker Hyundai Canada from its hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV models. “For them it’s also new, so I think it was a great opportunity for them to understand what that industry is going to look like in the future.” he ne t step for the private company is a , t y commercial plant. It plans to begin commissioning for the first part of CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 19

CLEAN MINING the Lithion process – dismantling the battery and extracting the “black mass” containing the battery metals – late next year. The hydrometallurgical part of the process, separating out and purifying the metals, is planned to begin in early 2024. Lithion’s process returns to the cathode stage rather than the cell manufacturing stage. While there are a slew of battery “gigafactories” under construction in the U.S., Lambert notes that there is very little cathode production in North America. “All these gigafactories will need cathodes,” Lambert says. “We’re expecting the cathode players like BASF, Umicore, Johnston Matthey, all these guys will need to come and build more capacity in North America to suport that growing industry here locally. So there might be a gap between these plants being built where a company like Lithion will need to sell its product in Europe first because there’s already cathode capacity there.” The work Lithion and Nouveau Monde are conducting on graphite recycling is important because most investment in battery recycling is focused on cathode material (nickel, cobalt and lithium). The two companies are working together to figure out at what stage Lithion’s recycled, purified graphite would feed into Nouveau Monde’s process of producing spherical graphite. “Not many recyclers can invest the same amount of capex that we are in purification and in the right processing steps to recondition the material into a battery,” says Nouveau Monde’s Desaulniers. “It makes sense for us to use the same processing steps in this new market that we need to be pioneering – otherwise, no one will do it,” he adds. “It’s too expensive to build the whole pro-

UNDERGROUND MINING EQUIPMENT WORLDWIDE

cessing stream only for the recycled material – especially today, there’s not enough recycled material.”

North American battery supply chain

While recycling will be a key part of any local battery supply chain, there’s still a lot of work to be done to establish one in North America. The battery market globally is dominated by Asia, and the European Union is ahead of North America is building its own supply chain. “There’s a real impetus for North America to ramp up or catch up or it’s going to lose the global market share,” said BMAC’s Smith. “We’ve seen Asia and now Europe really accelerate at break neck speeds.” Collaboration between Canada and the United States will be key, he adds, as will better promotion of Canada’s clean and responsible mining brand. Even though Nouveau Monde won’t be in full production of spherical graphite for the EV market until early 2025 when it plans to commission a 42,000 t/y commercial scale plant in Becancour, Que., the company is the most advanced and largest potential graphite supplier in North America and has drawn the attention of the Biden adminstration, whose representatives meet regularly with the company. “We really believe they consider this a North American challenge, not only a U.S. challenge,” says Desaulniers. The company started early contruction at its Matawinie project this year, and has already qualified its flake graphite product with customers for use in refractory bricks and electronics. However, in the first quarter of 2022, Nouveau Monde will have its first coated spherical graphite product for battery customers to sample. The stage 1 purification plant in Becancour, Que., will be able to produce 2,000 tonnes of battery-grade anode material. A feasibility study on a commercial scale plant is due out in the second quarter of 2022. Desaulniers says the expected price tag for both the Matawinie mine and the plant is expected to be around $1 billion. He expects that both the Quebec government and the federal government will be involved in the financing.

Quebec takes the lead

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While federal and provincial governments recognize the potential for Canada to play a key role in an emerging North American battery supply chain, Quebec appears to the most serious about claiming its place. The province intends to become a leader in critical and strategic minerals (including battery minerals) by leveraging its many advantages: inexpensive, abundant and clean hydro-electricity; its wealth of critical minerals; R&D capacity and a skilled work force. Last October, the province announced its Quebec Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals. The comprehensive five-year plan lays out $90 million in investment over four major areas over that timeframe. The plan, which includes support for exploration, new mines and infrastructure, is not limited to battery minerals. However, recycling and the creation of a circular economy is a major focus of the plan. Nobody believes that $90 million in investment is enough to do the job. (The province has so far announced around $23 million in grants, subsidies and tax credits under the plan, with another $22 million in tax breaks over five years set aside to support advanced work on critical and strategic mineral projects.)

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Fafa Amavigan, operator, tests samples at Nouveau Monde Graphite’s demonstration plant.

However, last November, province-owned Investissement Québec (IQ) announced a complementary battery strategy aimed at establishing local manufacturing of battery components, local manufacturing of EVs, and the development of battery recycling technologies. In June, IQ CEO Guy LeBlanc told La Presse that the company plans to invest $1-2 billion over the next two to three years and attract another $4-6 billion in investment from the private sector. Even before the CSM and battery plans, Quebec has strongly supported the emerging sectors, including Nouveau Monde (IQ

CREDIT: NOUVEAU MONDE GRAPHITE

is its second largest shareholder), Nemaska Lithium, (it now owns 50% of the company, which entered creditor protection in late 2019), Lithion Recycling and others. IQ also recently loaned Lion Electric $50 million for a $185-million lithium ion battery plant it’s building in the province (the federal government also ponied up a $50 million loan). Although it’s still early, the province believes its plans – including the first of its kind CSM plan – will attract investment. “We have noted a great enthusiasm and a strong interest at the international level for the initiatives emerging in Quebec,” said a spokesperson for the ministry of energy and natural resources in an emailed response to questions from CMJ. “The (unique qualities) of our mining ecosystem (high environmental and social acceptability standards, renewable energies) also make it possible to increase the visibility and support the reputation of the Quebec mining sector internationally, which constitutes a significant competitive advantage for the development of critical and strategic minerals.” While North America’s battery market is still in its early stages, it is crucial to act now to prepare for future demand. “If I look at the rest of Canada, I think Quebec has been really leading the way,” says Lithion Recycling’s Lambert. “This industry is developing right now so you cannot wait ten years to start working on it.” CMJ

Your partner in the field and beyond

OCTOBER 2021

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 21

WATER MANAGEMENT

> By Monique Simair

FIVE THINGS

you need to know about modern ‘passive’ bioreactors

iochemical reactors (BCRs) have a longstanding history in the environmental field; however, they have only been recently employed as a tool in water treatment of the mining sector. As this field of technology continues to grow, bioreactors are gaining interest in the world of “passive” water treatment and the technology is modernizing at a rapid rate. These passive bioreactors are built into the ground and designed with the intention to require little operator intervention. There are more than a dozen names and acronyms in use to describe different bioreactors depending on the style or brand of system. The generic term “BCR” will be used here for simplicity, this includes types such as mixed-media reactors and gravel bed bioreactors (GBBRs). Here are five things that you should know about modern in-ground BCRs.

IT’S NOT JUST PASSIVE OR ACTIVE

There are many approaches to designing in-ground BCRs. Designs must be matched not only to what is being treated, but also to site-specific objectives. Although a “walk away” method is sought after in water treatment, it is usually more reasonable to set a goal of operating as passively as possible. With BCRs, design measures can be put in place to adjust operations as needed, hence the modern language term “semi-passive” (as opposed to completely passive). Flexible operating modes can be adjusted depending on site specific variability, such as seasonality, flows, chemistries, and so on. These factors require modern in-ground BCRs to be supplemented with nutrients and other reagents as needed. Systems are also plumbed with the ability to flow water in different directions, making it possible to clean the system when necessary.

22 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

SOMETIMES TEMPERATURE MATTERS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T

Some constituents are directly transformed by the microbes in the BCR (such as cyanide, thiocyanate, ammonia, biological oxygen demand, nitrite, nitrate, and sulphate). For this reason, the treatment of these constituents is temperature dependent. This means that the BCR must be sized accordingly. Although cold temperature bioreactors for these constituents may need to be sized larger, there are several examples of BCRs operating with water barely above freezing. In contrast, many metals and metalloids are treated indirectly in BCRs by the bacteria using coupled biogeochemical processes. This means the microbes create compounds in the BCR, which in turn treat the water. Under the right conditions, microbes can create stockpiles of these treatment compounds in the BCR (which we can measure and track). This ‘stockpiling’ of materials makes it possible to design and operate BCRs effectively in cold temperatures when treating metals and metalloids, with change in temperature having little effect.

THE “BLACK BOX” IS OPEN AND UNDERSTOOD

One of the greatest misconceptions that remains is that BCRs are a “black box.” BCRs are more complex than conventional physical and chemical water treatment due to their biological component. However, they are not purely biological. BCRs function through coupled reactions including physical, chemical, microbiological, and biogeochemical reactions. These must all be considered when selecting appropriate substrates and reagents for a system. The use of reagents should be purposeful and targeted. For example,

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A modern in-ground BCR operating in Ontario treating water from a tailings pond. CREDIT: MAVEN WATER & ENVIRONMENT

Inset: Aerobic bioreactor for ammonia and thiocyanate treatment at high altitude and cold climate. 2017.

CREDIT: MONIQUE SIMAIR

Did you know? BCRs are divided into aerobic and anaerobic types; however, within this basic division there are many considerations depending on what you are treating. For example, an anaerobic BCR for selenium or metals treatment needs to consider availability of iron and sulphate to stabilize the treated elements in the substrates, while an anaerobic BCR for nitrate treatment does not.

the electron stoichiometry of the system should be calculated to ensure adequate treatment can be achieved. A BCR design should include not only the the hydrology and list of components, but the reactions of the reagents and components, lifespan, and how treatment can be manipulated and augmented as needed. Whether active or passive, BCRs are most manageable when the components are separated into a series of purposeful units. Separating treatment functions allows each aspect to be adjusted as needed OCTOBER 2021

depending on site-specific changes over time. The microbial component of a system is also no longer a mystery. Commercial fee for service genomic-based microbiology profiling has been available in Canada since 2012, with a handful of providers now in operation across North America.

PILOTING HAS PURPOSE

Pilot-scale testing should be purposeful, not exploratory. The BCR design should be sufficient to explain how the system works and how it is expected to react under a range of conditions including expectations of what happens when chemistries, flows, or temperatures change. A semiCONTINUED ON PAGE 24

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 23

WATER MANAGEMENT

WHAT CAN BCRS TREAT? Different BCR designs treat different things. Bioreactors can treat a wide range of constituents, such as: > ammonia > biological oxygen demand > cyanide > thiocyanate > naphthenic acids > nitrite > nitrate > phosphorous > metals > metalloids (including selenium) > to some degree, sulphate. Not all things can (or should) be treated at the same time. Depending on the targeted constituents and end products, different treatment pathways need to be selected. It is often necessary to have a series of steps where different BCRs or other treatment technologies are combined. The order of these steps is important to consider for effective treatment and risk mitigation.

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passive or passive system such as a BCR must incorporate this sort of flexibility into the design elements, whereas active treatment systems use reagents, heat, and electricity to manage these changes. For this reason, passive and semi-passive BCRs require somewhat longer site-specific pilot-scale testing than active treatment does. A pilot-scale testing program should be specifically designed to address regulatory questions or site-specific aspects. These might include aspects that affect construction, operation, and bonding costs. The BCR pilot-testing program can be run onsite or at a dedicated temperature-controlled facility, depending on the project needs. Pilot-testing should evaluate the ability of the system to respond to site-specific changes and to test the limits of the system under critical scenarios. Furthermore, a pilot-scale test should find out the limits of the system and what it can recover from. For this reason, pilot-scale testing is often best done in modular test units (not built into the ground), to enable rapid testing and replacement of units if needed. This process allows for a site-specific operating plan, maintenance schedule, and adaptive management plan to be customized for the site and system design.

THINK BEYOND TREATMENT

Modern BCR design and operation goes beyond just thinking of treatment. A few additional points to consider are:

> Does the operating plan have internal monitoring points and parameters to assess if it is operating as intended? > How will the BCR be monitored and managed long term? Will local personnel be trained? Is it set up for remote monitoring and management? > How does the BCR fit into the site-wide water management strategy and mine life cycle? > What happens to the treated constituents? Where do they go? What is their form? How stable are they? Under what conditions are they at risk of re-releasing? Does the BCR design take these aspects into account? > Have the BCR design and operating plans incorporated hydrologic and chemistry changes through the mine life cycle in addition to the lifespan of the BCR? > Can the BCR be readily modified or adapted if there are unexpected changes in the water quality, water volumes, or water quality objectives? > Can the BCR be retrofitted or modified to incorporate emerging technology? > Are there performance guarantees or other fee structures that align the technology provider with performance outcomes? Knowledge about BCR design and operation has changed greatly in recent years and is being applied at mine sites across North America. It is critical that your BCR design and management is up to date on technology advancements that can help save time and money on the design, permitting, and operation of these systems. CMJ

Dr. Monique Simair is a globally recognized leader in passive and semi-passive water treatment for the mining sector, including bioreactors, constructed wetlands, in situ treatment, and contaminant source control methods. She is the founder and CEO of Maven Water & Environment (www.mavenwe.com) and can be contacted at monique@mavenwe.com.

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CLEAN MINING

Sustainability in sight FOR MINING

How new solutions in equipment and technology are lowering GHGs and changing the future of mining By Cayce Kerr

ustainable mining may seem like a contradiction, but more and more mining companies are looking at solutions to reduce their impact on the environment. In 2020 the World Bank stated that in order to meet the Paris Agreement targets, ambitious climate action will require a large-scale transition to clean energy which will drive significant demand for minerals (see the World Bank’s Minerals for Climate Action: The Mineral Intensity

The Cat 797F is available in a fuel-eﬃcient conﬁguration that meets U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emissions standards. Alternative energy sources such as biofuels (B20) are also reducing emissions.

CREDIT: FINNING

OCTOBER 2021

of the Clean Energy Transition report). This presents Canada with an opportunity to be a leading supplier of responsibly produced minerals and metals to help the country transition to a low carbon economy. here is no one si e fits all solution for a climate plan. Each company, region and country has unique needs and requirements depending on where they sit on the sustainability scale. One of the biggest misconceptions is that sustainability has to come at the expense of productivity. The reality is that innovations in equipment and technology can drive productivity, reduce costs AND decrease emissions.

Setting new targets with equipment, technology and data

The challenge for mining operations is to find solutions that can improve overall sustainability practices, especially as the Canadian government continues to tighten regulations, increase the carbon tax and impose new low-carbon fuel standards. With the introduction of Tier 4 engines, trucks manufactured today are much more fuel e cient than those from 20 years ago. Integrating Tier 4 equipment into your mining fleet is one of the easiest ways to comply with current emissions regulations. However, it’s not going to solve climate change on its own. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 25

CLEAN MINING he potential fuel savings and e ciency is only 2%, with no reduction in CO2 emissions. The development of EPA emission tier standards did not reduce emissions, it only improved the Criteria Air Contaminants. A reduction in emissions means adding another system to the truck which still requires energy (fuel) to function. Technological advances and sustainable practices provide an opportunity for mining operations to reduce both emissions and their carbon footprint. Using premium equipment not only means greater fuel e ciency but many of these machines can also be rebuilt to their legacy tier emission standard or even a higher value. Rebuilding machines and components at end of life and bringing them back to like-new condition helps reduce overall waste and minimizes the need for raw materials to produce new parts. This keeps non-renewable resources, like equipment, in production for multiple lives, maximizing productivity and reducing equipment costs.

Focusing on productivity is the most impactful way to reduce GHG emissions

In mining, operational optimization and predictive maintenance are critical, but the need to improve energy e ciency and reduce CO2 emissions is equally important. With telematics and data analytics, mines can lower their carbon emissions and find new ways to increase operational e ciencies by leveraging this information. With regular planned maintenance, small problems are found before they become major issues. Repairs can be scheduled at times convenient for the operation, to increase the machines’ availability and maximize uptime. And changing out components before they fail and rebuilding and re-using the worn out parts, can offer substantial savings and reduce waste. Equipment health data is one of the key contributors to productivity. But sorting through all that data for the information you need can be challenging. Optimizing performance through condition monitoring can unleash the potential for productivity and emissions improvements, maximize equipment usage, eliminate unnecessary hauling, reduce component failures – and help reduce cost per ton. When you combine condition monitoring with telematics and data analytics, you not only optimize performance but can help predict failures and gather realtime intel for preventative maintenance

26 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

Cat trucks are designed to last over 100,000 hours, and many last well beyond that. The frame, powertrain, engine and components are built to be rebuilt — using new, remanufactured or rebuilt parts and components.

and predictive equipment analysis. The information that comes from telematics can be used to monitor machine health and condition, track equipment location and hours, emissions and idle time, and optimi e workflows, production cycles, and machine uptime.

Leveraging new technologies to drive sustainability

Mining operations face multiple obstacles. They need to dig deeper to reach minerals, and ore reserves are dwindling. Most mines are also in remote locations, so labour and energy costs remain a constant overhead. And now there are added pressures from boards, investors and stakeholders to improve energy e ciency and reduce CO2 emissions while maintaining productivity. Mine sites operate using the latest technology. Autonomous equipment may not seem like the most direct way to reduce emissions but it provides many benefits that contribute to lower emissions. It reduces idle time, start-stops and fuel consumption, while optimizing acceleration and braking, extending maintenance intervals and maximizing operational hours. Autonomous equipment can also operate , increasing e ciencies on site and totally eliminating downtime associated with breaks and shift changes.

CREDIT: FINNING

Electric drive machines are also highly e cient. ut switching to electric machines in the mines is no easy feat and there is a long list of variables to consider. Electric drive trucks are quieter and require less maintenance but they also use diesel engines and can burn a similar amount of fuel as a mechanical drive truck under the same hauling conditions. he e ciency of electric drive machines depends on the specific application, overall mine plan and operating condition, which all need to be taken into account to determine the most e cient system for the operation.

Reduce energy costs by increasing the use of renewables

With the emergence of electric car batteries, solar panels and wind turbines, the shift to renewable energy sources is becoming more feasible. But this growing demand for green technologies also presents the challenge of how to source the materials needed to make them. Lithium is needed to produce lithium-ion batteries and rare earth metals are needed for the magnets to produce wind turbines, but mining for these materials in an unsustainable way can further damage the environment. Government policy and regulations are essential to ensure mining activity for renewable

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Planning for the future

The CAT 797F truck uses less fuel, which reduces engine emissions and carbon footprint. There is also zero fuel burn during retarding.

CREDIT: FINNING

energy doesn’t cause more environmental harm than good. Alternative energy sources could soon become an option for the mining industry. Many alternative energy sources are still in the early stages of development with costs too high to provide any substantial productivity benefits. ut they should be carefully considered for future use and planning. Some mine operators are already looking at the benefits of switching to alternative energy sources. One of the most promising solutions currently on the market is dual fuel dynamic gas blending. It uses local resources and can significantly lower fuel costs for mining operations. It also generates less CO2, less NOx content and less total carbon, which can improve the air quality and the long-term sustainability of projects. The lower carbon emissions align with both corporate sustainability strategies and the Canadian government’s clean environment agenda. There are also future possibilities in switching to Biofuel (B20) which can reduce CO2 by up to 25%. However, today it is in limited supply with typically higher costs compared to diesel due to current production capabilities. Green hydrogen is another exciting prospect in the industry and will play a key role in helping to decarbonize minOCTOBER 2021

ing operations. Hydrogen fuel cells for electric vehicles offer big CO2 reductions. They produce zero emissions and deliver the same productivity and performance of diesel. Fuel cells use an electrochemical reaction between ambient oxygen and hydrogen fuel to produce electricity with water vapor and heat as the only byproducts. When hydrogen is sourced from renewable energy using a water-splitting method called electrolysis, the process and resulting fuel is completely renewable. Not only do hydrogen fuel cells eliminate carbon emissions but they also reduce carbon monoxide and particulate matter. This can help improve health and safety conditions in the tight enclosed spaces associated with underground mining. Hydrogen is not without its challenges – it requires a large capital investment to scale to the supply needed and presents numerous challenges for large mass vehicles, with respect to the energy density, weight tradeoff, charging speed and costs. Despite this, green hydrogen is increasingly being considered and tested in mines with equipment already being built to accommodate the alternate fuel source. In the next several years we could see widespread commercialization of green hydrogen and other sustainable energy sources.

With so many moving targets given the science, technology and regulatory requirements, not to mention the global nature of the GHG discussion, many companies have already added environmental, social and governance (ESG) experts to their team. his is one of the first steps companies can take for the benefit of employees and customers. he expert can help navigate this complicated topic, keeping on top of sustainability guidelines, grants, funding programs and regulation changes such as the carbon tax. Mining companies are making progress toward decarbonization, but their focus has primarily been on incremental targets instead of long-term planning for the future. Regulations and technological developments are changing quickly – but we know for certain that reducing GHG emissions needs to be the number one priority. Here are some immediate steps mining companies can take to start making a difference. 1. Set up sustainability leadership committees, or add an ESG expert to your team who can engage with local communities and advocate for environmental issues. 2. Review commodity portfolios, engage with stakeholders and look at the health of your fleet and identify where you can make improvements. 3. Encourage employees and board members to set ambitious emissions targets that will get the company to net-zero and track progress to your goal. 4. Where possible, shift to renewable power generation and invest in energy e ciency projects. 5. ook to actions that will benefit the bottom line while promoting social responsibility. No longer are the goals of productivity and sustainability mutually exclusive – technological advancements are allowing both. Aligning sustainability targets with the goal of lowering cost per ton can go hand-in-hand, and as a result it can improve financial performance, reduce maintenance costs and increase equipment productivity for mining operations – paving the way to a reduction in CO2 emissions and a greener and more sustainable mining industry. CMJ Cayce Kerr is mining industry marketing manager with Finning Canada. CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 27

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE & REPAIR

THE

fundamentals OF ROTARY DRUM MAINTENANCE By Craig Peppin and Carrie Carlson

rom lengthy permitting processes to declining ore grades, the mining industry is fraught with challenges, but unnecessary downtime, excessive maintenance costs, and premature failure of rotary equipment shouldn’t be among them. The mining industry employs rotary drums in a myriad of applications. These diverse machines are customized to suit their roles as scrubbers, kilns, dryers, coolers, and agglomeration drums. Catastrophic failures of these units can put plants out of commission for months waiting on a new unit. And even small repairs can mean weeks of downtime depending on service provider availability, issue severity, and site accessi-

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bility, so keeping rotary drums in proper working order at any mine is critical to avoiding excessive downtime and its associated costs. While each type of rotary drum has varying maintenance needs, some maintenance practices are universal to all drums, no matter their type. These practices are outlined here.

Inspections

By far the most effective (and most overlooked) tool in any maintenance program is an inspection. Whether conducted by an operator, or an external service provider, inspections allow plant managers to catch problems before they have a chance to escalate, while also tracking small changes in equipment over time. Operators or maintenance personnel

should conduct a daily visual inspection of the unit if possible, checking for any signs of wear, damage, or abnormalities such as unusual auditory cues. Critical points of contact, such as between tires and trunnions, as well as between thrust rollers and tires (riding rings), should also be inspected daily. Operators should have a list of items to examine on a weekly basis as well, such as gear or chain lubrication, condition of bearings, graphite block lubrication, and more. Operators or maintenance personnel should also conduct a more thorough monthly inspection of the unit, assessing components such as v-belts, reducers, couplings, thrust roller assemblies, and more. These items, and the frequency at which they should be checked, should

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Opposite: FEECO drying plant constructed for the mining industry. Left: A FEECO customer service engineer performs a laser alignment on an indirect rotary dryer. CREDIT: FEECO

be laid out in daily, weekly, and monthly check sheets for operators and maintenance personnel as part of a preventative maintenance program. The frequency of checks required depends on the specific operating parameters and should be considered in putting together these lists. The condition of all items, as well as any identified problems and adjustments made, should be recorded. Plant managers should also have a third-party service provider (or the OEM) come in to conduct an inspection annually for a more thorough review of the equipment’s mechanical condition and stability. This can be co-ordinated with a planned shutdown or other maintenance procedures to avoid additional downtime, as the drum internals will require inspection as well.

Tire and trunnion grinding

Grinding, a means of reconditioning the surface of tires and trunnions to remove the worn surface and reveal the like-new surface below, is conducted by a trained technician with a special machine. While grinding is carried out in response to wear rather than as a preventative measure, it can help to prevent some major issues. As the main point of contact between the drum and its base, tires and trunnions are often the first place to OCTOBER 2021

BY FAR THE MOST EFFECTIVE (AND MOST OVERLOOKED) TOOL IN ANY MAINTENANCE PROGRAM IS AN INSPECTION. WHETHER CONDUCTED BY AN OPERATOR, OR AN EXTERNAL SERVICE PROVIDER, INSPECTIONS ALLOW PLANT MANAGERS TO CATCH PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO ESCALATE, WHILE ALSO TRACKING SMALL CHANGES IN EQUIPMENT OVER TIME. exhibit wear when a problem exists. The most common cause of tire and trunnion wear is misalignment. However, a range of other underlying issues could also be the cause, so it is imperative to first identify and resolve the root cause of the problem, as treating only the symptoms will allow wear to immediately resume.

Fugitive material is especially common at mine sites, where drums are often operating outdoors. While it is not uncommon to see trunnion pits full of fugitive material, allowing this to occur can cause severe wear on trunnions, and eventually tires. Operators should regularly clean out trunnion pits to avoid abrasive wear. Leaving worn tires and trunnion wheels untreated exacerbates wear on all drum components, as it changes the alignment of the drum, putting stress on the rest of the system.

Alignment

As with grinding, alignment addresses the relationship of the drum to its base. Unlike grinding, however, realignment is a preventative measure that should be conducted on a regular basis, the frequency of which depends on the unit’s specific operating conditions. A rotary drum can naturally fall out of alignment as part of normal wear and tear. Mine sites working with high impact loads and materials with a high bulk density are likely to see their drums fall out of alignment more quickly. As a drum falls out of alignment, the resulting imbalance puts increasing stress on all components. If allowed CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 29

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE & REPAIR to continue, this eventually accelerates wear, leading to more serious problems such as bearing failures and damage to gears, tires, trunnions, and more. Damage is further exacerbated by the already-harsh conditions characteristic of so many mine sites. In addition to regular realignment, a drum should also be realigned after any major repairs, such as tire or trunnion grinding, as these procedures affect the base conditions.

Maintaining proper drum float

Drum “float” refers to the position of the drum in relation to the thrust rollers, which are designed to prevent the drum from drifting longitudinally. Thrust rollers are positioned on each side of the uphill and downhill tires. During operation, the drum will ideally not ride hard against any of the thrust rollers, though minimal contact is often

FEECO ore drums.

acceptable. If the drum is allowed to push excessively against a thrust roller, the thrust roller and potentially the tire will become worn and the drum will fall out of balance, again adding unnecessary stress to its many components. In severe cases where thrust roller bearings are Timing marks, a common indicator of drum misalignment, seen on a trunnion wheel.

CREDIT: FEECO

allowed to fail, the drum may dismantle the thrust roller shaft, and in turn, roll off its base, resulting in catastrophic failure. Drum float, or how the drum is positioned between thrust rollers, should be checked daily. Float changes over time and requires routine adjustment through a process known as drum training. Training involves skewing the trunnion bearings in small increments to reposition the drum for proper float. If excessive training is required, or a drum regularly falls out of float, an underlying issue could be to blame and should be investigated. Training should only be conducted by trained personnel, as improper adjustments can result in damage to the unit.

Routine maintenance

Most rotary drums are generally low maintenance. However, there are several moving parts that require proper lubri-

CREDIT: FEECO

30 | CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL

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cation; bearings, chains, gears, reducers, and graphite blocks must always be properly lubricated. Oil should be changed in gear boxes and reducers as recommended, and any components exhibiting wear, such as seal leaves, bearings, and the like, replaced as needed. Routine maintenance is even more critical in the mining industry, where harsh operating conditions and minimal off-time tend to increase the rate of wear on equipment, and the rate at which problems escalate if not immediately addressed.

Keeping wear-critical parts on hand

While most plants benefit from keeping wear-critical parts on hand, this practice can be a lifeline for mining operations, which are often remotely located and can’t afford to hold off production waiting on a part. Keeping wear-critical parts on hand can mean the difference between hours and weeks of downtime. Items such as trunnion bearings, thrust roller assemblies, thrust roller bearings, and graphite blocks, should be kept in stock for a quick changeout.

OCTOBER 2021

Replacing internals as needed

Internals vary across the different types of drums but are almost always essential to the performance of the unit, no matter what kind they are. In addition to inspecting internals as production schedules allow, worn internals should be replaced on an as-needed basis.

Cleanout

Mine sites should also make it a priority to regularly clean out their rotary equipment to avoid buildup, which adds unnecessary weight to the drum, putting undue stress on all components. Many of the materials the mining industry works with also present unique challenges that make cleanout essential as well. Potash, for example, is corrosive and can cause accelerated wear on equipment if not cleaned out. Likewise, gypsum can harden in place if not cleaned out, making the removal of any residual material critical to avoiding potential damage. Seasonal mining operations, or those simply shutting down the plant for an extended period, should always clean out

their rotary drums prior to off-season to prevent additional wear as the unit sits.

Training plant personnel

Small mistakes can have catastrophic consequences, making trained operators and maintenance personnel pivotal to the longevity of equipment. Plant managers should train anyone working with the drum on how to properly operate and maintain the unit, as well as how to safely inspect the unit and look for signs of potential trouble. The harsh conditions associated with mine sites and processing plants makes maintaining rotary equipment especially critical. Regular inspections, routine realignment, tire and trunnion grinding as needed, as well as maintaining proper drum float, keeping up on routine maintenance, regular cleanouts, and operator training, are the key to a successful preventative maintenance program for rotary drums in the mining industry. CMJ Craig Peppin is customer service manager and Carrie Carlson is a technical writer at FEECO International.

CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL | 31

SEPTEMBER 2021 | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 9

ON THE MOVE

Canadian Mining Journal October 2021

Articles inside

Recycling’s role in the energy transition

The fundamentals of rotary drum maintenance

Sustainability in sight for mining

Five things you need to know about modern 'passive' bioreactors

Quebec powers up to meet battery demand

Sorting it out