The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - October 6, 2023
A Cat 950 GC-wheel loader is the first battery-electric machine being delivered to Nouveau Monde's Matawinie graphite mine.
Click on image for a video of a Matawinie mine computer model showcasing Cat zero-exhaust mining equipment.
From working with Caterpillar to develop an electric mining fleet for its Matawinie graphite mine, to securing affordable hydropower to produce lithium battery anode material, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. continues to pioneer a low-carbon mine-to-battery supply chain in Quebec.
"Quebec is becoming North America's green battery thanks to its vast hydropower network, and we, in turn, are leveraging this renewable energy and its multiple jurisdictional advantages to establish a new operational model, from ore to battery materials, fully electrified, fully integrated, fully traceable," said Nouveau Monde Graphite Chair Arne Frandsen.
As a company blazing a trail at the very vanguard of zero-carbon mining and processing, Nouveau Monde and the supply chain it is building in Quebec serves as a case study for decarbonizing the larger mining sector.
"The Matawinie project highlights the complex questions miners are faced with when determining the amount of energy required to run a fully electric site," said Caterpillar Group President Denise Johnson. "This is part of the learning NMG and Caterpillar are navigating together as we work through the realities of supporting the mine site of the future."
As Nouveau Monde began to consider developing a mine at Matawinie, the company's management team and directors were quick to realize the advantage of an all-electric mine that would deliver the graphite needed for electric vehicle batteries with the smallest possible carbon footprint. The major hurdle to this idealistic plan was that the requisite electric mining equipment did not exist.
It so happened, however, that Caterpillar was racing to develop battery-electric equipment for open-pit mining operations such as Matawinie.
A mutually beneficial partnership was forged between Nouveau Monde and Caterpillar in 2021, which was solidified with a definitive agreement earlier this year.
Under this partnership, Caterpillar is supplying Nouveau Monde with electric mining equipment that will lower the carbon footprint of producing graphite critical to lithium batteries. In turn, the junior mining company will supply the global heavy machinery manufacturer with graphite that will serve as anode material in the batteries of electrified versions of its famed "yellow iron."
"It started with a bold vision. Going all-electric at our Matawinie Mine is the way to go; environmentally to limit our carbon footprint, socially to rally the community behind a new mining development and to reduce the sound level of our operations, and commercially to engage with battery/EV manufacturers and tap into consumers' responsible purchasing desires," said Nouveau Monde Graphite President and CEO Eric Desaulniers. "Now, Caterpillar is providing us with a comprehensive solution, de-risking the adoption of new technologies and optimizing operational excellence through integrated infrastructure."
While development and deployment of battery-powered mining equipment is key, it is not the only technical hurdle mining companies and heavy equipment manufacturers must overcome on the path to all-electric mines.
Replacing diesel-burning loaders, trucks, and other mining equipment with battery-powered digging and hauling machines requires a rethinking of mine plans around charging requirements and infrastructure needed for this zero-emissions fleet.
Technical teams from Caterpillar and Nouveau Monde have established an early-learners model for Matawinie that will map this out for the graphite mine, which will serve as a model for the sector at large.
These developments support planning for the site's charging infrastructure. This includes modeling and simulating the location of charging stations, as well as charging cycles in relation to operational schedules and the mining plan. This early work will help optimize site design and technology choices.
The simulation of charging needs will also help identify peak power demand and define energy management strategies.
"I'm proud of the work our teams are accomplishing together to propel this project forward," said Johnson.
Identifying the peak power requirements and defining energy management strategies for Matawinie raises two critical questions:
• What are the power requirements for an all-electric mine?
• Where will that zero-carbon electricity come from?
These questions become more complex when you consider the overall transition to low-carbon energy, and EVs are creating enormous demand for zero-carbon electricity.
Nouveau Monde's envisioned low-carbon graphite mine-to-anode material supply chain has the advantage of being in Quebec, a Canadian province with an already green electrical grid. Hydro-Québec – the government corporation that produces, transmits, and distributes electricity in Quebec – generates over 99% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, mainly through hydroelectric generating stations.
Nouveau Monde already has an agreement with Hydro-Québec for the construction of a dedicated power line that will plug the Matawinie mine into this clean power. Recently, the graphite company also obtained confirmation that it has secured a 77-megawatt block of Hydro-Québec electricity for its Becancour battery materials plant being developed in the heart of Quebec's "Battery Valley," which will upgrade Matawinie graphite into the advanced anode material needed for lithium batteries.
The need to reserve a block of Quebec's clean hydroelectricity, however, speaks to a larger issue that goes beyond Nouveau Monde, or even the mining sector at large.
Can clean energy generation not only replace current fossil-fueled electricity but also expand to meet the demands of electrical grids with EVs plugged into them?
The "expanding battery ecosystem" in Quebec has prompted the province to assess electrical allocations based on "technical connection capacities, economic and regional development benefits, environmental and social impact, and alignment with governmental orientations."
As a company with a vision to establish a low-carbon battery anode material supply chain in Quebec, Nouveau Monde checks all the boxes. As such, the graphite company has received confirmation that it will receive a discounted industrial rate for hydroelectricity fed to its Matawinie mine and Becancour battery material plant.
This low-cost and clean hydropower is the foundation on which Nouveau Monde's envisioned ESG-forward graphite mine-to-anode material is built.
"Clean energy is central to our operational, commercial, and ESG strategy," said Frandsen.
The availability of plentiful and affordable clean energy will also be key to the successful decarbonization of the global mining industry at large.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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