Welcome back to your weekly mining news recap, where we catch you up on some of the news you may have missed. This week’s headlines include a look at the use of “cascading” to conserve fresh water sources, Cameco and Brookfield Renewable’s acquisition of Westinghouse Electric and the development of the new Pioneer winter road.

New trolley assist infrastructure at Copper Mountain Mining’s eponymous mine in B.C. allows electric-drive diesel haul trucks to avoid using fuel when hauling ore uphill, instead they receive clean power from an overhead powerline. The company collaborated with ABB on this infrastructure and with SMS Equipment and Komatsu on the trucks, while also receiving funding from Clean BC and B.C. Hydro. This new project will help advance the company’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.

Water conservation is top priority for in the mining industry, with companies looking to optimize water usage and save on water treatment costs. By creating a minimum-water-quality cascade, Bjanka Korb and Peter Shepherd explain, mines can reuse and recycle their process water, lowering their fresh water use and limiting their waste water discharge. Additionally, cascading would decrease a mine’s operational costs by reducing their dependence on treated municipal water.

Cameco and Brookfield Renewable will partner up to purchase Westinghouse Electric Company, one of the largest nuclear services businesses in the world. Brookfield Renewable and its consortium partners are set to own a 51-per-cent interest in Westinghouse, with Cameco controlling a 49-per-cent interest. Westinghouse is currently valued at US$7.875 billion.

On Oct. 19, Rogers Communications and NORCAT announced a five-year strategic relationship meant to expedite technology adoption in the mining industry. The Rogers Technology Centre of Excellence will be located at the NORCAT Underground Centre near Sudbury, and will focus on introducing innovative solutions to the mining industry using 5G technology.

Equinox Gold released the results of its feasibility study for the expansion of the company’s fully owned, Mexico-based Los Filos Mine complex, as reported by Mining.com. The project’s life will now extend to 2036, with an increased average of 280,000 ounces of gold expected to be produced annually. The company’s mineral reserves increased 44 per cent (to 5.4 million ounces of gold from 193.2 million tonnes grading 0.86 per cent), and the project now has an after-tax net present total value of US$625 million at a five-per-cent discount rate.

Canada’s federal government aims to speed up the regulatory process for the country’s northern critical mineral projects, as reported by CBC News. Critical minerals are considered to be a crucial part of the country’s plan for an energy transition, notably for powering electric vehicles. Of the 31 minerals considered to be critical, 23 can be found in the N.W.T, and 25 of them can also be found in the Yukon.

Iamgold is looking to sell its 95-per-cent interest in Rosebel Gold Mines to Zijin Mining Group for US$360 million. Additionally, Iamgold’s equipment lease liabilities will be released, which are currently valued at roughly US$41 million. Rosebel has a 100-per-cent interest in the Rosebel Mine, as well as a 70-per-cent stake in the Saramacca mine, both located in Suriname.

Forty-one people have died after an explosion took place on Oct. 14 at a coal mine located in northern Turkey, as reported by BBC News. About 110 people were in the mine when the explosion happened. Turkish prosecutors have initiated an investigation at the state-owned mine. The explosion is believed to have been caused by the ignition of methane in the mine.  

NorZinc has received the final approval to begin its construction of a winter road to its Prairie Creek project in Northwest Territories, as reported by North of 60 Mining News. The development of the Pioneer Winter Road will initiate the first phase of a planned 170-kilometre all-season road to the mine site. Although final approval has been received from the NWT government and the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, the plan still awaits authorization from Parks Canada for a section of the road that will run across the Nahanni National Park Reserve.

Quebec’s Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) has engaged in a framework agreement with Mitsui & Co. and Panasonic Energy to advance the development of the Matawinie mine and Bécancour battery materials plant, as reported by Mining.com. A US$50 million investment from Mitsui, Pallinghurst and Investissement Québec will be used to support the final steps of NMG’s second phase of the project. One of NMG’s main goals with this project is to develop a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material within the province.

That’s all for this week. If you’ve got feedback, you can always reach us at editor@cim.org. If you’ve got something to add, why not join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram pages?