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 Fortescue teaming up with Liebherr and MacLean Engineering to speed up the decarbonization of surface mining, Rio Tinto offering early termination for Diavik employees and Electra Battery Materials produces technical grade lithium carbonate. 

The Canadian government announced on Sept. 20 that it is providing up to $60 million in conditionally approved funding for critical minerals infrastructure in B.C.’s Golden Triangle and the Yukon. The government will provide $20 million for a 43-kilometre access road for Galore Creek Mining Corporation’s copper mine in Tahltan Territory in northwest B.C., which will connect the project to existing infrastructure, enable access to mill facilities and allow the mine to operate using BC Hydro’s electricity grid. The remaining $40 million will go towards pre-feasibility activities to advance a 765-kilometre transmission line network that would connect Yukon’s electrical grid to the North American grid in B.C.  

Foran Mining Corporation shared on Sept. 23 that it had completed several key milestones for its underground McIlvenna Bay copper and zinc project, located in Saskatchewan. Some of these milestones include advancing surface construction on the processing plant, truck shop and contact water pond; the completion of foundations for the ball mill and semi-autogenous grinding mill; and the delivery of battery electric scoops and trucks.  

On the first day of MINExpo 2024, Liebherr and Fortescue unveiled their new jointly developed autonomous battery electric T 264 truck, while also signing a US$2.8 billion deal for 475 zero-emission Liebherr machines, which will replace around two-thirds of Fortescue’s mining fleet at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Australia. This partnership represents Liebherr's single largest equipment deal in the company’s history and is expected to deliver one of the world’s largest zero-emission mining fleets. 

Fortescue has also partnered with the Canadian company MacLean Engineering, announcing on Sept. 25 that the two companies aim to accelerate the electrification and decarbonization of the surface mining industry by delivering 30 battery electric GR8 EV graders to Fortescue’s mining operations in Western Australia. Powered by Fortescue Zero’s battery system, the first grader is expected in 2026, with the full battery electric fleet set to be operational by 2029. The machines are one of the first battery electric graders to be used in surface mining.  

Rio Tinto is offering early termination options for employees at its Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories as part of cost-saving measures ahead of the mine's planned closure in 2026, as reported by Rapaport News. The mine’s closure is expected to lead to significant job losses in the region, and over 1,200 jobs could potentially be affected. 

Electra Battery Materials has successfully produced technical grade lithium carbonate of over 99 per cent purity at its refinery in Ontario through its black mass recycling project. The company stated that this achievement complements its production of nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate and graphite. A recent $5 million funding commitment from the Canadian government will aid Electra in scaling up its recycling operations and developing the only battery-grade cobalt sulfate refinery in North America.  

Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) has contracted ABB to supply and construct a 120-kilovolt substation for its Matawinie mine in Quebec, which is part of the construction preparation for a graphite mining and concentrator complex with a capacity of 103,000 tonnes per year. The mine will connect to the provincial hydropower network, providing clean energy for carbon-neutral graphite production. When operational, the mine will feature a zero-emission mining fleet, which according to NMG could make it the world’s first all-electric open-pit mine. 

Ana Gabriela Juárez, president of CTA Environmental Consultants and founder of Women in Mining Central America, aims to reshape young people’s perceptions of mining through her latest book, Ana’s Adventures at the Mine: Enigmas Buried in History. This new release, which hits shelves on Oct. 1 and is a sequel to her first book The Secret of La Esperanza, takes readers on a journey through several different time periods and continents to explore mining's rich history.  

Alberta Innovates’ Bitumen Beyond Combustion (BBC) program aims to diversify the uses of bitumen from Canada’s oil sands by developing high-value products from the substance, such as carbon fibre and asphalt binder, as reported by Alice Martin for the August issue of CIM Magazine. By focusing on non-combustion applications, BBC seeks to reduce the sector’s carbon emissions while potentially increasing the value of bitumen by 133 per cent. 

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?