The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - July 31, 2024
Electric trolley assist for haul trucks is a currently available technology that has already proven to lower carbon emissions and increase productivity at Hudbay Minerals' Copper Mountain Main in Southern B.C.
Brucite is a mineral that reacts with carbon dioxide to form magnesium carbonate, a mineral that stores CO2 for geological scales of time.
The nickel at Baptiste is hosted in awaruite, a nickel-iron alloy that is much less energy-intensive to refine than other nickel sources such as sulfide or laterite ores.
With trolley assist, it is estimated that the nickel produced at Baptiste would be one-sixth of that produced from sulfide ore, which is the cleanest mined nickel currently available.
A recently completed engineering study has found that a trolley assist system for haul trucks would significantly reduce the carbon intensity of nickel produced at Baptiste, a project in central British Columbia being advanced by FPX Nickel Corp. that is already shaping up to be one of the cleanest sources of future nickel on the planet.
A prefeasibility study (PFS) completed last year detailed plans for a financially robust mine at Baptiste that would produce an average of 132 million pounds of nickel per year for 29 years.
As compelling as the financial results are for a future mine at Baptiste, the more impressive aspect of the mine outlined in the PFS is that only 2.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted for every metric ton of refined nickel produced, which is roughly a third of the CO2-intensity of the cleanest nickel currently being produced.
According to Skarn Associates, a mining sustainability consultancy firm, roughly 85% of global nickel production in 2023 had a carbon intensity greater than 10 metric tons of CO2 per metric ton of nickel. This ranges from around 7.2 metric tons of CO2 per metric ton of nickel for sulfide deposits, currently the cleanest source of the battery metal, to 69 metric tons of CO2 per metric ton of nickel from laterite ore, the dirtiest.
The nickel at Baptiste is hosted in awaruite, a nickel-iron alloy that is much less energy-intensive to refine than other nickel sources such as sulfide or laterite ores.
Baptiste, however, boasts an advantage that places the nickel-cobalt project in a class of its own in terms of energy and CO2 intensity.
The reason for this is the nickel found at Baptiste is found in awaruite, a natural nickel-iron alloy that is easy to recover and does not require smelting or high-pressure acid leaching. This means the nickel can be produced with less energy and a smaller carbon footprint than if the battery metal was produced from sulfide or laterite ores.
A new study shows that implementing an already proven technology could cut the already low carbon intensity of Baptiste nickel in half.
"Our plans to adopt best-in-class mining technologies are expected to enable Baptiste to be one of the lowest-carbon nickel operations in the world," said FPX Nickel President and CEO Martin Turenne.
With trolley assist, it is estimated that the nickel produced at Baptiste would be one-sixth of that produced from sulfide ore, which is the cleanest mined nickel currently available.
With roughly 85% of the CO2 emissions from the Baptiste Mine detailed in the PFS expected to come from diesel-powered haul trucks, a recently completed engineering study looked into lower-carbon haulage alternatives.
This evaluation found that using electric trolley-assist systems to tow fully loaded trucks up inclines could significantly reduce the amount of diesel burned and, thus, CO2 emitted while hauling ore and other materials at the mine.
This technology has already been proven to lower the carbon intensity and improve haulage efficiency at Hudbay Minerals' Copper Mountain Mine in southern B.C.
This addition, along with using larger trucks and mine design changes, has resulted in cutting the carbon intensity at Baptiste to 1.2 metric tons of CO2 per metric ton of nickel.
The final feasibility study for Baptiste will also consider battery- and hydrogen-powered haul trucks, along with other emerging technologies, as ways to further reduce the carbon intensity.
"FPX Nickel is setting new global standards in responsibly mined high-value nickel, exemplifying British Columbia's leadership in environmental, social, and governance practices," said British Columbia Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Josie Osborne. "Mining and mineral exploration are a foundational part of our transition to a low-carbon future, and projects like this one will help us build a stronger and more sustainable British Columbia where our hard work benefits everyone."
Brucite is a mineral that reacts with carbon dioxide to form magnesium carbonate, a mineral that stores CO2 for geological scales of time.
The current CO2-intensity calculations for Baptiste nickel do not take into consideration that the tailings will contain about 1% brucite, a magnesium mineral that is really good at absorbing CO2 and transforming it into a solid magnesium carbonate that is stable on a geological time scale. This means that the tailings produced at the mine could be used to sequester and store CO2. While this has the potential to offset all the CO2 emitted from the mine, FPX is considering this as a future potential economic and environmental opportunity.
FPX is also working closely with BC Hydro, which is providing funding support for an evaluation of connecting to the clean energy grid in B.C.
"British Columbia's clean power underpins Baptiste's potential for responsible production of high-value nickel units that will support decarbonization of the global economy," said Turrene. "We are grateful for BC Hydro's support as we move toward entry into the provincial and federal environmental assessment process in 2025."
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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