Canada Invests in Clean Mining Technology

QUEBEC CITY, April 15, 2021 /CNW/ - Canada's mining and minerals industry is important to communities across the country. Developing Canada's natural resources in more sustainable and responsible ways drives our economy, reduces our environmental impacts and creates jobs.

Joël Lightbound, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a federal investment of $730,096 for a clean mining technology project located in Quebec City and Ottawa. The Government of Quebec has also provided $10,000 to the Université Laval to support this project. Corem and Université Laval have also invested in the project, bringing the total combined contribution to more than $1 million.

This funding will support Université Laval's development of an innovative pilot-scale clean technology that eliminates the need for harmful cyanide in the gold extraction process and is expected to reduce the impacts of gold mining on the environment. Once deployed commercially, the technology could help generate jobs for skilled operators, technicians and engineers in gold refineries.

Funding is provided through Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program, which invests in clean technology research, development and demonstration projects in Canada's energy, mining and forest sectors. The program is a $155-million investment fund that helps emerging clean technologies toward commercial readiness so that natural resource operations can further reduce their environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, while enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs.

The Clean Growth Program also provided support to Université Laval for the capacity to collaborate with NRCan's CanmetMINING on engineering support and testing of pilot-scale technology. This investment was made through the Program's Science and Technology Assistance for Cleantech initiative, which provides federal laboratory support for innovators, intended to help bring Canadian clean technologies to market by providing federal research expertise, facilities and equipment.

The Government of Canada will continue to support innovative projects in the mining sector that create a clean, sustainable and competitive natural resource sector that reduces pollution and fights against climate change. 

Quotes

"We're investing in projects that help companies power the clean technologies we'll need to reach net zero by 2050."

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr.
Minister of Natural Resources

"The Government of Canada continues to invest in projects that position Canada's mining industry as a leader on the global stage. Through innovative ideas and dedicated partners such as Université Laval, we are helping to reduce impacts on the environment, create jobs and ensure good mining practices in Quebec for years to come."

Joël Lightbound
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert

"We are working hard to make Quebec a world leader in the development of critical and strategic minerals. I'm proud of the collaboration we have established between our respective governments in order to propel Quebec's mining sector into the economy of the future."

Jonatan Julien
Quebec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord
Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Îles–de–la–Madeleine region

"The development of less polluting industrial processes is at the heart of Université Laval's concerns, especially when they can reduce the environmental footprint on fragile environments. Université Laval, a leader in the field of Nordic studies, advanced nanomaterials and green technologies, is proud to take part in the development of clean technologies for the gold mining industry."

Dr. Line Lapointe
Vice-Dean of Research, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval

"Corem is proud to contribute to the development of alternative technologies to reduce the environmental impact. The expertise of our research team combined with the shared challenges of our industry members and customers, through the collaborative approach of our research program, allows us to develop innovative, concrete and sustainable solutions for the mining industry."

Francis Fournier
President and CEO, Corem

Associated Links

Clean Growth Program
Science and Technology Assistance for Cleantech  
Université Laval
Corem
Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources
Atmospheric Plasma Technologies Towards Elimination of Cyanides from Gold Extraction Processes 

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [email protected]; Ian Cameron, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 613-447-3488, [email protected]