Energy and Mines Magazine - Issue 36 - World Congress 2021 Report

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Issue

36

November

2021

Energy and Mines World Congress 2021 Event Report


Energy and Mines World Congress: Roadmap to net-zero mining

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eld virtually on November 9 and 10, 2021, the ninth edition of the Energy and Mines World Congress brought together more than 600 mining and energy professionals. Through presentations and panel discussions, participants explored several elements in mining’s roadmap to net-zero, from renewable and storage options to standards, regulations and the sector’s role in the electric vehicle revolution. While most mines share the same target of 2050 for net-zero operations, the conference highlighted the fact that the journey to get there is less than uniform. 2

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Pod 1: Roadmap to net-zero mining

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Torys’ Partner Tyson Dyck chairs the opening panel with Aurora Davidson, President and CEO, Amerigo Resources Andrea Vaccari, Director – Responsible Production Frameworks & Sustainability, Freeport-McMoran; Sunil Kumar, VP – Energy Strategy and Engineering, Kinross Gold; Scott Maloney, VP Environment, Teck Resources

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he first topic to be discussed at the conference was the roadmap to net-zero mining. With the majority of mining majors now having set a 2050 net-zero target, the attention has shifted to how exactly they plan to achieve this. In a panel on identifying these pathways to net-zero, speakers noted that context is of the utmost importance. “There certainly isn’t a one size fits all approach to target setting; each company has its unique opportunities and challenges based on their jurisdiction, availability of clean power supply, etc,” said moderator Tyson Dyck, a Partner at Torys. For instance, Teck Resources Vice President of Environment Scott Maloney explained that since his company’s assets are located in Chile and British Columbia, where zero-carbon electricity is abundant, it had a clear path to net-zero. “We’ve set ambitious targets because we’re starting from a very good place,” he said. In the process of defining their interim 2030 targets, many miners have resorted to a similar strategy: first, improving efficiency and adopting readily available technologies; second, shifting power to renewable sources; and third, exploring emerging technologies, particularly around fleet decarbonisation.

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Newmont, for instance, is currently evaluating a shift to renewable energy at the Boddington and Tanami mines (Australia), Peñosquito (Mexico) and Yanacocha (Peru). “This will be capital-intensive but will get us close to our 2030 target,” said Dean Gehring, the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, in his keynote address. As for the technologies needed for fleet and processing decarbonisation, which are currently less mature, he warned that miners will have to work and partner in ways they never have before. “Mining companies will need scale, strong partners and a centralized approach to develop and implement the technologies needed to meet our 2030 targets,” he added. At the same time, global decarbonisation goals will be a significant driver for mining operations, specifically for green technology minerals like lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese, copper and others. “The International Energy Agency’s bottom up assessment of energy policy suggests that the world is currently on track for a doubling of mineral requirements for clean energy technologies by 2040. However, a concerted effort to reach the goal of the Paris Agreement would mean quadrupling mineral requirements by 2040,” noted Dave ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE

David Manning, Global Head of Hybrid, juwi Renewable Energies discusses the Elikhulu Solar Project

“There certainly isn’t a one size fits all approach to target setting; each company has its unique opportunities and challenges based on their jurisdiction, availability of clean power supply, etc”

TYSON DYCK PARTNER TORYS

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Slide from Dean Gehring’s presentation

Manning, Global Head of Hybrid at juwi Renewable Energy. One of the practical ways to define a net-zero roadmap aligned with economic performance is to make use of banks’ growing lines of sustainability-linked loans. For instance, Polymetal has received sustainability-linked loans from ING, Societe Generale, Raffeisen Bank and UniCredit, whereby the miner could benefit from lower interest rates when hitting sustainability KPIs. “Positive ESG results may decrease loan margin by up to 30 basis points,” said Polymetal’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Daria Gonchrova.

“This will be capitalintensive but will get us close to our 2030 target”

DEAN GEHRING

There are tremendous commercial opportunities ahead for miners that put in place an achievable plan to decarbonise their operations, but ‘achievable’ is the key word. “With the 30% reduction by 2030 barrelling closer by the minute, a clear plan with options that are actually achievable in the short term is vitally important,” warned Ngaire Tranter, General Manager, RPM ESG at RPMGlobal.

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER NEWMONT

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Ngaire Tranter, General Manager, RPM ESG at RPMGlobal discusses the importance of setting out an achievable plan for mine decarbonisation targets.

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Pod 2: Decarbonising power with renewables and storage 10

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Stantec’s Trevor Gilchrist chairs a panel discussion with Tsakani Mthombeni, Executive, Sustainable Development, Impala Platinum; Pierre Gueudet, Energy & Climate Director, Eramet and Francois Swanepoel, Technical Manager, Salares Norte, Gold Fields on strategies for decarbonising power.

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n the second content pod, speakers looked at renewables and storage as specific decarbonisation avenues. In a panel on strategies for decarbonising power, chaired by Trevor Gilchrist, Practice Leader, Mining, at Stantec, participants discussed whether renewables are the new normal for powering mines. Representatives of Gold Fields and Eramet confirmed that it is now systematic for their companies to consider renewable power options for new projects, which often prove more cost-effective than fossil fuels in the long run. The industry in general is very optimistic about the possibility to completely decarbonise power supply in the medium term, thanks to emerging technologies. “It is now possible to go from complete reliance on diesel to 128 days without even switching on the diesel generator,” hailed Mark Kennedy, Business Development Manager at Wärtsilä, referring to the Graciosa Island in the Azores. According to him, energy storage is the technology that has made much of this progress possible, and switching to hydrogen is set to make year-round 100% renewables possible. The company is now working to get 100% hydrogen ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE


power plants to market by 2025. Another company eyeing carbon-free power supply for mines is 247 Solar, which provides a 20-hour thermal battery charged by concentrated solar power. “You can get to zero-carbon all-electric mining, not today, but sometime in the future, on your timeline,” said Bruce Anderson, the company’s President and Founder. The HeatStorE Battery is the first battery that can operate at full power even when fully discharged, because it includes a turbine. “It can burn diesel for now, but green hydrogen too when it’s available,” added Anderson. In the hybrid power and storage space, technical advances go hand in hand with commercial innovation, which is needed to handle what are generally high-capex projects. “Minimizing capex while still being able to maximize production to meet growing market demands, and at the same time progressing towards meeting aggressive energy transition goals is a challenge,” said Nick Dunn, North America Mining Sector Manager at Aggreko. For this reason, the company offers a turnkey service that requires no capex, yet guarantees reliability and equipment flexibility. ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE

Martin Schlecht, Chief Operating Officer, Suntrace, presents the options for high penetration renewables for mines

“It is now possible to go from complete reliance on diesel to 128 days without even switching on the diesel generator” MARK KENNEDY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WÄRTSILÄ

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Slide from presentation by Mark Kennedy, Business Development Manager, Wartsila

Storage remains challenging when it comes to cost, particularly when thinking of using batteries to increase renewable penetration. Martin Schlecht, Chief Operating Officer at Suntrace, noted: “Now 20% fuel saving through renewables is a proven case, with a battery to add grid stability through primary frequency control. Getting to a 50% renewable share is possible if you expand to a four-hour battery, but already, it is not as economic.” Schlecht suggested a staged implementation to maintain flexibility as technology costs continue to decrease: according to BloombergNEF, lithium-ion batteries have a learning rate of 18%, meaning that their price drops by this percentage every time there is a doubling of supply capacity. Bunty Kiremire, Application Lead at Release Scatec, confirmed that commercial innovation is needed for higher-penetration remote hybrids. “Technical aspects are largely solved and the business case is strong, but it’s the commercial aspects that seem to be holding up mines from integrating hybrids, either large capex or long drawn-out third party agreements that are so complex they take years to be established and eventually don’t happen at all.” Scatec’s Release, a redeployable, modular and scalable PV and battery solution, is a response to this need for innovation: “We take the full technology risk and the customer

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has the option to extend or terminate the lease.” This level of technical and commercial innovation bodes well for power decarbonisation to push miners closer to their 2030 and 2050 targets. “Mining is known to be slow to respond to disruptive technologies but in this case we have been one of the leaders in taking advantage of these technologies to augment our electricity supply while reducing our carbon footprint,” noted Tsakani Mthombeni, Executive, Sustainable Development, at Impala Platinum.

“Minimizing capex while still being able to maximize production to meet growing market demands, and at the same time progressing towards meeting aggressive energy transition goals is a challenge” NICK DUNN NORTH AMERICA MINING SECTOR MANAGER AGGREKO

Slide from presentation by Bruce Anderson, President and Founder, 247Solar

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Slide from presentation by Nick Dunn, North America Mining Sector Manager, Aggreko

Chair: Nate Blair, Group Manager, Distributed Systems and Storage Analysis, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Bunty Kiremire, Application Lead – Release, Scatec; Luc St-Arnaud, Senior Director, Operational Technology and Business Improvement, IAMGOLD and Nelson Nsitem, Analyst, Decentralized Energy, BloombergNEF discuss the role of energy storage in decarbonising power for mines

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Pod 3: The race for green milestones ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE

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n the third content pod, speakers dived deeper into the different wording and standards used to set mining’s climate targets. Heidi Grantner, General Manager at Synergy Enterprises, noted the differences between net-zero, which tends to be focused on removing as much carbon as the company produces in scope 1 and 2 emissions, and carbon neutrality, which tends to also include scope 3. “The reason the net-zero by 2050 target is so popular is that it’s a science-based target aligned with the Paris Agreement. To get to 2050, there will be a lot of variation in interim targets, which will really depend on site analysis,” she said.

Some of the most aggressive measures are on the scope 3 side, where miners are deciding to get out of business areas entirely, getting rid of their coal assets for example”

MICHAEL WIDMER HEAD OF METALS RESEARCH BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH

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One of the aspects miners should pay attention to, is whether their targets are based on carbon intensity or on absolute emissions. “Miners face headwinds such as deepening, increasing ore hardness, increasing strip ratios and falling grades. The tendency is to say: ‘I can see efficiency gains here and lower intensity’, but there’s not going to be any escaping the absolute reduction requirements, and observers are becoming much more attuned to that,” warned Mark Fellows, Co-Founder and CEO of Skarn Associates. Tracking progress will require setting baselines and communicating results, and there is currently a multitude of different frameworks and standards a mine could choose to abide to, which makes reporting challenging. According to Grantner, the most relevant recent development in the standards space is the formation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), a consolidation of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and the Value Reporting Foundation (VFR). The ISSB plans to have a unified standard in place around climate disclosure requirements by June 2022, which should help to compare progress between different companies. As miners begin to hit their scope 1 and 2 targets and shift their focus on their scope 3 emissions, experts believe the whole industry will be redefined. “Some of the most aggressive measures are on the scope 3 side, where miners are deciding to ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE


get out of business areas entirely, getting rid of their coal assets for example,” said Michael Widmer, Head of Metals Research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Going even further, climate targets could soon determine whether or not investors pursue new projects, particularly in remote areas where zero-carbon power may be challenging. “There’s a general assumption that if you’re planning to produce a commodity, you will always find a market. But not every commodity warrants development of a mine: one could argue diamonds are not essential to civilization, for instance. If a mine is going to be developed off the grid in a remote environment, it will need to produce a commodity the world really needs,” said Patrick Evans, CEO of Mayfair Gold, which is currently developing Canada’s first net-zero gold project.

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Mark Olsheski, Vice President, Energy and Environment, Sussex Strategy Group chairs a panel on Green Milestones with Michael Widmer, Head of Metals Research, Bank of America Merrill Lynch ; Heidi Grantner, General Manager, Synergy Enterprises; and Patrick Evans, CEO, Mayfair Gold

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Pod 4: Towards zero emissions haulage

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Slide from presentation by Scott Davis, Lead Innovation - Zero Emissions Material Movement, BHP

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n the topic of zero emissions haulage, miners and OEMs were adamant that collaboration is the way forward. “Collaborating across different mining companies and suppliers is key. It is really important to onboard the suppliers early in the process, getting the team on site to be a part of the mine design,” recommended Mark Passi, Energy Manager at Glencore. One example of this collaborative approach is the Charge On Innovation Challenge, led by BHP, Rio Tinto and Vale. With the goal of developing scalable, interoperable solutions for safely delivering electricity to 220-tonne haul trucks without adding time to the haul cycle, the challenge received 88 submissions from vendors, and shortlisted 21 proposals earlier this year. In his update on the challenge, Scott Davis, Lead Innovation, Zero Emissions Material Movement at BHP, told the audience

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that shortlisted vendors received feedback and one-on-one mentoring from the Challenge’s 21 mining patrons before submitting their final proposals in early November. Next year, OEMs will be invited to give their feedback on the final selection and a consortium will be formed to develop and commercialize the winning products. While the ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma of the early days of zero-emissions haulage seems to have been resolved through collaboration, a mentality shift is still necessary for the mining sector to adopt new mobility business models. “Batteries are costly, but for total cost of ownership, we’re

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Louis Kent, Principal Carbon Management, BHP chairs the panel on the Fleet Technology Shift with Brian Huff, VP of Technology, Battery and Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Sandvik; Mark Passi, Manager, Energy, Glencore; Christian Treml, Managing Director, VA Erzberg

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Kirstin Sym-Smith, Director of Business Development, Mining Industry, Ericsson North America presents on sustainable, smart and autonomous mining operations

already equivalent or slightly better than diesel, because buying the battery is essentially buying all of your fuel in one go. That’s a shift that’s taking some getting used to,” said Brian Huff, VP of Technology, Battery and Hybrid Electric Vehicles at Sandvik. Several mining operators are already pursuing electrification solutions for their material movement. Pierre Joubert, Executive Vice President, Technical Services at Ivanhoe Mines, gave a presentation on the company’s plan to reach net-zero operational emissions at its African mines: the company is getting ready to test and implement electric equipment at the Platreef and Kamoa Kakula mines. In British Columbia, New Gold has begun deploying batteryelectric vehicles at its New Afton Mine. Peter Prochotsky, the mine’s Manager, noted that change management is challenging but crucial for the transition to battery-electric equipment. He recommended early planning to ensure buy-in from the entire organization, and paying particular attention to safety, occupational hygiene, human behaviour, maintenance, GHG emissions and energy requirements. For both Ivanhoe and New Gold, battery swaps seem to be

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the preferred recharging solution. “It is easy for employees to adapt to charging that is timed with break cycles, so you should aim to select battery equipment that can last until breaks,” Prochotsky said. Several speakers highlighted the importance of digitization and wireless communication in this transition, as operators, suppliers and experts need to be able to communicate seamlessly and solve issues that may come up. Kirstin SymSmith, Director of Business Development, Mining Industry, Ericsson North America, made the case for private wireless networks to enable autonomous vehicle haulage and smart ventilation control. “Private wireless networks can make this happen through limitless reliable connectivity and security, with benefits to workers and the environment,” she said. Of course, miners should also consider the impact of an electric fleet on their overall energy requirements. While in underground mines, ventilation reductions are expected to offset the increase in electricity needs, surface mines will need to make significant adjustments to their power supply, and put buffering systems in place to protect generation from charging-related peaks. Ensuring that the electricity supply doesn’t counteract the emissions reductions achieved through electrification is also key — it is no coincidence that most of the mines that have already adopted the batteryelectric technology are connected to hydropower grids.

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“Batteries are costly, but for total cost of ownership, we’re already equivalent or slightly better than diesel, because buying the battery is essentially buying all of your fuel in one go. That’s a shift that’s taking some getting used to”

BRIAN HUFF VP OF TECHNOLOGY, BATTERY AND HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES SANDVIK

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Pod 5: The roadmap to net-zero for Chilean mines

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The panel on Net-Zero for Chilean Mines with chair Juan Carlos Guajardo, Founder and Executive Director, Plusmining; Gonzalo Ramírez, Electromobility Specialist, Codelco; Marcos Cid, Energy Manager, Teck Chile; Andrés Alonso, Manager, Energy & Water Resources, Antofagasta Minerals; Ignacio Pérez, H2 Technology and Energy Manager, Anglo American Chile, Sebastian Rivas, Lead Energy & Water Management, Strategic Services – Minerals Americas, BHP

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ecause of Chile’s exceptional renewable energy sources and government commitment to hydrogen technology, the roadmap to net-zero for Chilean mines may be clearer than in other countries. In a country-specific session sponsored by the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Chilean mining leaders shared their experiences around energy and fleet decarbonisation. On the electricity supply side, Chile is blessed with a competitive renewable energy market. Already, 70% of Teck Resources energy contracts in the country are based on renewable energy, and Marcos Cid, Energy Manager at Teck Chile, estimates that this is

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“We have an exceptional opportunity to have greener sources of supply: Chile has the highest radiation desert in the world, enormous wind resources and hydropower in the South. And renewable energy is already competitive: we’ve reduced our costs by 20% compared to previous fossil fuel contracts”

SEBASTIAN RIVAS

the norm across the industry. “I believe 100% renewable energy is going to happen sooner than we think,” he said.

LEAD ENERGY & WATER MANAGEMENT, STRATEGIC SERVICES, MINERALS AMERICAS BHP

BHP is also in the process of converting its electricity supply in the country, having already awarded 6 TWh of renewable energy PPAs in recent years. “We have an exceptional opportunity to have greener sources of supply: Chile has the highest radiation desert in the world, enormous wind resources and hydropower in the South. And renewable energy is already competitive: we’ve reduced our costs by 20% compared to previous fossil fuel contracts,” noted Sebastian Rivas, Lead Energy & Water

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“Under our analysis, the use of green hydrogen to replace diesel on mining trucks is the most attractive alternative, due to the dynamic energy profiles and flexibility needed in mine haulage”

IGNACIO PÉREZ H2 TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY MANAGER

ANGLO AMERICAN CHILE

Management, Strategic Services, Minerals Americas at BHP. He added that energy storage will be key to reaching 100% renewables, and that BHP already has a tender process in place for behind-the-meter solutions, with the goal to reach netzero electricity in Chile around 2025. This focus on greening the electricity supply is deeply connected with the scope 1 decarbonisation that is also happening in the country, both through hydrogen development and battery electrification. “All initiatives to displace scope 1 emissions rely on electricity, so displacing scope 2 emissions is a key enabler, and energy storage is an essential solution we need for that,” said Rivas. Chile is betting heavily on green hydrogen, expecting to have one of the lowest costs of production in the world, but there remain challenges around distribution, storage and logistics. This is where miners are taking matters into their own hands: Anglo American is testing its own hydrogen production and refuelling facility in South Africa, with the objective of converting whole fleets to hydrogen haul trucks. “Under our analysis, the use of green hydrogen to replace diesel on mining trucks is the most attractive alternative, due to the dynamic energy profiles and flexibility needed in mine haulage”, said Ignacio Pérez, H2 Technology and Energy Manager at Anglo American Chile. And of course, time is of the essence. “To achieve 2040 carbon neutrality we will need to have close to eight carbon-neutral mines by 2030: that’s a major challenge for technological development. OEMs don’t expect to develop these trucks in the coming years, which is why we developed our own solution,” he added. Unlike Anglo American, which aims to produce hydrogen on site, Antofagasta Minerals sees itself as an offtaker of green hydrogen. But the company is still taking an active role in developing this technology. “There is no time to wait for others to develop the

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technology, that’s why we are working with OEMs and others to meet our hydrogen needs,” said Andrés Alonso, Manager, Energy & Water Resources, Antofagasta Minerals. Codelco is taking a technology-agnostic approach to fleet decarbonisation, but the company does have a target of switching to 100% renewable energy and 100% electric equipment in underground operations by 2030. “We need to develop our internal capabilities and prepare our mines to be electric, which is not necessarily straightforward. It is not only about the technology but also the right people,” explained Gonzalo Ramirez, Project Manager – Electromobility and Energy Transition at Codelco. In the race to decarbonise operations, panellists reminded the audience that collaboration is crucial. “The race is not between each other, it’s a race with the world, and that creates space for collaborative innovation,” added Ramirez. They also urged each other to cooperate more on a national level, pointing out that most of the miners present were part of industry initiatives in other countries, but not in Chile. “We have the size and the capability for doing something here in Chile. Based on our commitments as a country and as an industry, we have to push for all solutions and be early adopters.” Alonso said. Many aspects of the decarbonisation of Chilean mines may still be in the balance, but the abundance of renewable resources, as well as the pace of innovation and new technology adoption, are placing the country firmly in the lead in the race to net-zero mining.

“We need to develop our internal capabilities and prepare our mines to be electric, which is not necessarily straightforward. It is not only about the technology but also the right people”

GONZALO RAMIREZ PROJECT MANAGER – ELECTROMOBILITY AND ENERGY TRANSITION CODELCO

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Pod 6: Greening the minerals su 36

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Slide from the presentation of Laurens Tijsseling, Sustainability Manager, Minviro

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he final content pod of the conference looked at the future of the mining sector through the lens of battery demand. Speakers told the audience that the global push for vehicle electrification is an opportunity for miners to reposition themselves, not as the environmentally damaging sector they are traditionally perceived as, but as a crucial enabler for the world’s energy transition. On the other hand, the production of many of the minerals needed for batteries, such as copper, cobalt and especially

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“Nickel projects in these countries are extremely carbonintensive, stripping tropical rainforests, some even dumping tailings in the ocean”

MARK JARVIS CEO

GIGA METALS

nickel, currently comes with a hefty carbon footprint. Most nickel projects, for instance, are located either in Indonesia, the Philippines or New Caledonia, and are responsible for environmental destruction. “Nickel projects in these countries are extremely carbon-intensive, stripping tropical rainforests, some even dumping tailings in the ocean,” said Mark Jarvis, CEO of Giga Metals. Because there is currently limited supply of these minerals, car and battery makers are still investing in these damaging projects.

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“Cleaning up the battery metal supply chain is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. It may not be driven by the automakers, but a regulatory framework will help with that. With the EU Battery Regulation, automakers in Europe will be compelled to ensure they’re using low-carbon inputs in their batteries. Without that I’m not sure they would do it voluntarily”

MARTIN TURENNE PRESIDENT AND CEO FPX NICKEL

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But some regulators are reacting to this contradiction, taking steps to clean up the zero carbon vehicle supply chain. The European Union’s upcoming Battery Regulation will require carbon footprint disclosure for every battery sold in the EU. “Cleaning up the battery metal supply chain is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. It may not be driven by the automakers, but a regulatory framework will help with that. With the EU Battery Regulation, automakers in Europe will be compelled to ensure they’re using low-carbon inputs in their batteries. Without that I’m not sure they would do it voluntarily,” said Martin Turenne, President and CEO of FPX Nickel. Laurens Tijsseling, Sustainability Manager at Minviro, started his presentation with the “bittersweet role” the mining sector is facing: “Minerals and metals are essential for decarbonisation, but CO2 intensity is likely to increase due to lower grades if conventional technologies are used to produce these metals.” He advised new project developers to calculate the life cycle assessment (LCA) of their product at the planning stage, evaluating its carbon, land and water impact to find the cleanest way to produce it from the start. “80% of a product’s impact is fixed in the design phase. LCA data can be used to make environmentally informed decisions,” he added. Several new battery mineral producers are currently developing carbon-neutral mines to supply clean vehicles. Foran Mining aims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral copper mine from day 1 of production, with ambitions to become carbon-negative in the future. “We want to show it can be done in a more responsible and sustainable way,” explained Dan Myerson, Executive Chairman and CEO. Located in Saskatchewan, the mine has access to abundant zero-carbon electricity through hydropower. And while its depth would make it possible to start as an open-pit mine, ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE


developers chose to keep it underground from the start, since underground battery-electric vehicles are already available. Canada Nickel aims to be the world’s first net-zero nickel operation. “From day one, the focus is on integrating existing equipment into the design: trolley trucks and electric shovels in main loading equipment. Because of this design, our carbon intensity is already one of the lowest in the industry, not including the carbon sequestration from our ultramafic tailings,” said Mark Selby, Canada Nickel’s CEO. He noted that the mine would be the largest base metal mine in Canada, and that being carbon-neutral would not impact its cost curve. “Miners need to move away from elusive 2050 targets, The zero carbon opportunity is available now,” he added. Nine years after the first Energy and Mines World Congress, it is safe to say that decarbonisation has gone from a side preoccupation to a business priority. There are different levels of commitment to reduce carbon emissions across the sector, but innovation and collaboration are moving forward at an accelerated pace. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we begin to see the effect of net-zero initiatives in the industry and on the planet.

Slide from the presentation from Michael Young, Senior Research Scientist and Principal Investigator, Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas

“Miners need to move away from elusive 2050 targets, The zero carbon opportunity is available now”

MARK SELBY CEO

CANADA NICKEL ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE

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