Alberta to introduce ‘modern’ coal policy, including ban on new open-pit projects
The new policy will not affect those qualified as "advanced coal projects" such as the controversial Grassy Mountain mine.
Nouveau Monde Graphite has been selected as the first mining partner to participate in a government-led electrification initiative, aimed at developing electric systems and rapid recharging infrastructure for heavy vehicles used in open pit mining.
The joint effort, which includes both research and industry participants, aims to use the hydropower available in Quebec to create the first electric-powered truck for year-round operation at open pit mines.
Partners in this initiative include The Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI), Propulsion Quebec and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), as well as Adria Power Systems, Dana TM4, Fournier et fils, in addition to Nouveau Monde.
With plans for 12 electric trucks at Nouveau Monde’s Matawinie project, the company aims to be the first all-electric open pit operation in the world
Operator Fournier et Fils will provide a 40-ton truck, and technical experts, for conversion of this unit to battery power. IVI will design the battery, and Dana TM4 will take care of the motor aspects for the project. NRC would then test the unit to make sure that it meets the project requirements, with high-power charging infrastructure and battery assembly to be completed by Adria Power Systems.
The resulting solution will be designed for adaptability to other heavy-duty mining units.
First test runs are expected by 2022, and will take place at the Fournier et Fils quarry, as well as at the Nouveau Monde graphite site.
With plans for 12 electric trucks at Nouveau Monde’s Matawinie project, the company aims to be the first all-electric open pit operation in the world.
“We’re helping mining companies lower their emissions by investing in onsite emissions reduction technologies, and they’re helping us by powering the clean technologies we’ll need to reach net zero by 2050,” Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, said in the release.
“This project demonstrates Propulsion Québec’s strength in stimulating intercompany knowledge sharing to foster the emergence of clean technologies. Quebec is firmly committed to going electric, and the project announced today is perfectly in line with our desire to produce electric commercial vehicles. The fact that the prototype will be used in a graphite mine, a key element in the development of the battery sector, makes me all the more enthusiastic,” added Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister Responsible for the Lanaudière region.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
