EuroMining 2013 – Green Mining Seminar

1. EuroMining 2013 – Green Mining Seminar Canada’s Green Mining Initiative Janice Zinck September 12, 2013

2. Mining is a national industry in Canada, with a rich history of growth that parallels that of the country Presence in all but one of the 13 provinces and territories  Employs 320,000 Canadians Contributes $35.6B to the GDP Mining in Canada

3. Natural Resources Canada • A science-based department with the mandate to create a sustainable resource advantage (minerals, energy, forestry, water, etc.) for Canadians • It’s role is to help bring together the strengths of all Canada’s natural resources assets to achieve three strategic outcomes for Canadians: • Canada’s natural resource sectors are globally competitive • Natural resources sectors and consumers are environmentally responsible • Canadians have information to manage their lands and natural resources, and are protected from related risks

4. Drivers for Change • Technical Challenges • Decline in discovery rate, mineral reserves and ore grade • Accessing unconventional mineral deposits • New mineral deposits in challenging / hostile environments • Processing complexity • Rare earth elements, invisible gold

5. Drivers for Change Economic and Environmental Challenges • Public demand for more comprehensive environmental assessment process while pressure from industry to streamline • Sustaining and enhancing the environmental performance and image of the industry • Meeting regulatory standards for GHG emissions, air pollutants, and effluents • Responding to the impacts of climate change • Growing demand for skills Innovation is critical

6. Implementation Pilot Research CanmetMINING Approach to Innovation • Collaborate for success • Join forces with industry and academia to address pressing needs • Work in partnership to remove barriers to adoption • Tap-in into cross-sectoral expertise • Ensure alignment with government and industry priorities for relevance • Focus on technology transfer and implementation to translate R&D work into innovation Technology Maturity S-Curve Technology Maturity Time

7. Green Mining Initiative • Launched in 2009 to respond to pressing challenges: • Addressing public concerns on the environmental footprint of mining • Enhancing productivity and innovation of Canadian mining sector as it faces stiff international competition • Meeting regulatory standards for GHG emissions, air pollutants, and water effluents • Improving the performance and image of the industry to earn a social licence to operate GMI Vision: Mining leaves behind only clean water, rehabilitated landscapes and healthy ecosystems

8. Leveraging for success Technology Maturity Time Implementation $41.1M Technology innovation curve Leveraging $37M Research $9.2M Pilot $4.9M Leveraging $6M Leveraging $4.2M NRCan Contribution $4.1M NRCan Contribution $3.2M NRCan Contribution $0.7M Leverage ratio – 6:1

9. GMI has four interconnected pillars • Objectives: • Sustain an environmentally responsible mining sector in Canada • Contribute to an economically-competitive Canadian mining sector • Accelerate deployment of green mining technologies and practices in Canada • Realize global market opportunities in green mining technologies and practices Seven research priorities….

10. Northern Mineral Development • Canada's North is rich in mineral wealth but development of these resources requires a unique set of technologies than those applied in warmer climates to ensure protection of the fragile northern ecosystem • This priority area would focus on the development of better mining, treatment and waste management technologies for the North • Objective • Research and development for responsible northern resource development

11. Northern Mineral Development • 5-Year Outcomes • Improved environmental performance for mines in the North • Aboriginal communities are enabled to make informed decisions regarding mineral development on their land, • Protection of Northern ecosystems potentially impacted by mineral development • Flagship Projects • Mine waste management in the North under a changing climate • Ecosystem protection and remediation of northern contaminated sites • Mine design for the North • Technologies Under Development • Backfill technology for permafrost conditions • Mine water treatment processes for cold climates • Insitu arsenic trioxide stabilization

12. The supply of rare earth and critical metals is both a national and international issue Canada has exploitable deposits of critical metals however processing of these deposits remains the fundamental challenge in ensuring a sustainable Canadian supply Objective Development and adoption of green processing technologies for critical and strategic metals Critical and Strategic Metals Processing

13. Critical and Strategic Metals Processing • 5-Year Outcomes • New market access for Canada • Advanced and greener processing technologies for Canada - possible deployment internationally • REE supply for Canadian producers • Flagship Projects • Rare earth element processing • Strategic and specialized metals research • Bioleaching • Technologies Under Development • Bioleaching of black shale for REE recovery • Pyrrhotite bioleaching process • Rare earth minerals concentration • Ion implant reference material for REE • Rare earth metals separation

14. Mining Extraction Innovation • As ore grades and reserves continue to decline it necessary to access deeper deposits • Reducing the technological risk affords access to deep Canadian high grade mineral resources and greatly contributes to the reduction of the mine site footprint • Objective • To reduce the risk for mining extraction in deep mines or weak rock masses

15. Mining Extraction Innovation • 5-Year Outcomes • Uptake of EFRB (explosive-free rock breakage) technology at least one narrow vein mine • Cost effective extraction in otherwise uneconomical deep deposits • Flagship Projects • Mitigating risks for mining at increasing depth • Improving & progressing the underground mining process • Technologies Under Development • Hoisting steel cable monitoring • Residual recovery from mine processing mud (dewatering) Plasma torch • Continuous ore handling design

16. Energy Efficiency in Mining and Milling • Energy is a significant and complex issue for the mining industry • Both mining extraction and milling have significant energy demands • Reduction in energy usage will improve competitiveness and reduce environmental impacts • Objective • Development of technologies to Reduce energy requirements, lower GHGs, cleaner emissions

17. Energy Efficiency in Mining and Milling • 5-Year Outcomes • Adoption of zero-emission vehicles in Canadian mines • Mine wide implementation of VOD system • Diesel non longer prime ventilation design parameter • Energy consumption in milling process is reduced • GHG emissions from mining sector are lower compared to baseline • Operating costs and energy consumption are reduced • Flagship Projects • Technologies for improving mining efficiency & energy usage • Energy efficient rock breakage • Technologies Under Development • Ventilation-on-Demand / Ventilation-for-Production • Green mining vehicles • On-line ore sensor to reduce energy consumption

18. Best Practices in Environmental Management • The Canada 'brand' in environmental management is recognized internationally • To build on these best practices this research area will develop, improve, evaluate and demonstrate technologies for environmental stewardship • Objectives • Best practices for environmental management, waste and reclamation are developed and adopted in Canada and transferred internationally

19. Best Practices in Environmental Management • 5-Year Outcomes • Best practices for mining environmental management transferred and adopted, environmental assessment process streamlined • Stakeholders are equipped to make informed decisions regarding mining environmental management • Ecosystems and communities are protected, environmental liabilities are reduced • Flagship Projects • Biological recovery of water cover basins • Reclamation for secondary land use • MEND, NOAMI • Technologies Under Development • Alternative Binder Technology • Non-intrusive seismic monitoring for well casings • Reclamation using organic wastes and biochar

20. Clean Water • Water use and quality is an issue all aspects of the mining cycle from mining and milling, through to discharge to the environment • This priority area will address water usage in mining and milling through recycling and removal of process contaminants • Objective • Develop knowledge and technologies to produce cleaner effluents, greater compliance, lower toxicity, and reduced consumption

21. Clean Water • 5-Year Outcomes • Regulatory decisions influenced • Mine effluent discharge compliance increases over baseline • New treatment technologies developed • Consumption of water in mining/milling is reduced • Flagship Projects • Assessment of environmental risk of mine-related contaminants • Technologies for sustainable use of water in the mining industry • Technologies Under Development • Hybrid process for oils sands process water • Process for removal of sulphate and other dissolved ions (Se) • Passive treatment options

22. Radioactive Waste Management • Technical solutions are required to safely manage Canada's nuclear waste and address liability issues • This priority will develop methods and innovative techniques to characterize, treat and stabilize both solid and liquid forms of nuclear wastes • Objective • Develop technologies to safely manage Canada's solid and liquid nuclear waste

23. Radioactive Waste Management • 5-Year Outcome • Technical solution identified to safely manage Canada's nuclear waste • Flagship Projects • Cemented radioactive waste • Radioactive liquid waste • Technologies Under Development • Processing technology of radioactive waste • Recovery processes of key elements from radioactive wastes • Cementation technology of radioactive waste

24. Local Partners/Funders Implementation Pilot Research SME System Providers Ventilation-on-Demand (VOD) • Development of automated ventilation systems that provide air volumes to the production areas when, where and for as long as production requires • It is estimated that a well managed VOD system could reduce the costs associated with ventilation by as much as 40% • Cost savings, energy and GHG emission reductions • Collaborations to demonstrate and deploy the technology

25. Implementation Pilot Research Non-Cyanide Gold Leaching • Cyanide banned in some areas • Alternatives are needed for gold processing • New technology achieving recoveries equivalent to cyanidation (>90% recovery) • Enhanced thiosulphate process • Minimal environmental, social and investment risks • Safer and greener

26. Traditional mine backfill makes use of Portland cement Costly - Average of $1M per mine site annually Creates 0.5 Mt CO2/year Alternative Binder technology Uses waste rock in replace of Portland cement Internationally patented (US,EU, AU, SA) Benefits Reduces GHG emissions Diminishes smelter footprint Lessens environmental effects and long term liability Licensing opportunities Implementation Implementation Implementation Implementation Implementation Pilot Research Research Research Research Research Research Research Innovative Mine Backfill

27. Green Mines Green Energy Utilizing organic waste to remediate mine tailings and produce bioenergy feedstock Currently three demonstration sites in Ontario Sudbury (Vale), Onaping (Xstrata), Timmins (Goldcorp) Field trials have shown: 10 t/ha (dry weight) of biomass ~5 M litres of biodiesel/y (from canola) from half tailings area ~$900/ha/yr profit Focus has largely shifted to sunflower, switchgrass and willow Focus now on the use of biochar for site remediation Implementation Pilot Research

28. Rare Earth Element Processing Demand for rare metals is increasing, supply is declining Critical for high tech, clean energy, defence and medical Canada has over 200 REE projects at various stages of development New technologies critical for this emerging industry Mineralogical characterization Physical separation research Development of leaching and separation processes REE Certified Reference Materials Guideline on management of radioactive materials Implementation Pilot Research

29. Arctic Green Mining Collaboration • Opportunity to develop and apply green mining technologies specifically for arctic/cold climates • Collaboration of circumpolar mining nations to address technological challenges with respect to northern mineral resource development • Joint green mining research on water and waste management, reclamation, and green processing alternatives to reduce environmental impacts in the fragile Northern ecosystems

30. Science and Technology Research for Northern Mineral Development - Gaps

31. Moving forward – GMI International S&T vision • Increase bilateral and multilateral alliances to build international support for responsible mineral resources governance and sustainable development concepts, practices and policies • Develop partnerships to accelerate deployment of GMI technologies • Promote industry’s leadership in corporate social responsibility, responsible mineral development, environmental stewardship, and use of advanced technologies • Support collaborative opportunities to enhance global market access of green mining technologies

32. Discussion Thank you Janice Zinck Janice.Zinck@nrcan.gc.ca http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science/video/3571