Tag Archives: CanmetMINING

Railveyor stakes its energy-efficiency, opex cost claims in latest Agnico Eagle whitepaper

Automation, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has revealed its findings on the efficiency and environmental impact of the Railveyor system implemented at its Goldex mining complex in Quebec, Canada, with the whitepaper, published by Railveyor and Agnico Eagle, detailing reduced operational costs, enhanced safety and greenhouse gas emissions reductions as some of the major outcomes of the installation.

Goldex mine, an underground gold operation in Val d’Or, faced logistical challenges due to its deeper zones and low-grade ore. To address these, Agnico Eagle integrated the Railveyor system into its operations in 2017, replacing traditional diesel truck haulage with this advanced all-electric solution. The results have been transformative, according to the whitepaper.

According to the miner’s internal studies, the Railveyor system has achieved up to a 39% reduction in mine-wide emissions compared with diesel trucks, a significant step towards the company’s commitment to achieving net zero by 2050. The system’s energy efficiency was also validated by a study from NRCan-CanmetMINING, confirming that the Railveyor operates within 6% of its expected energy usage. With its low operational costs – reducing operating expenditure by as much as 75% compared with truck haulage – Railveyor has proven itself as a cost-effective, sustainable alternative for material transport in mining, Railveyor says.

Based on CanmetMINING’s calculations, the Goldex Railveyor system requires 0.989 kilowatt-hours to move one tonne of ore one kilometer. Factoring in Quebec’s average electricity price at the time of this publication, the estimated cost is less than $0.07/tonne-km.

Christian Lessard, Maintenance Superintendent at Goldex, said: “Goldex Railveyor has been optimised since 2017, resulting in strong production in recent years. The system integrates the latest technologies like LTE networks and AI, operating in line with theoretical energy consumption models. The stability and predictability of electrical energy costs, as opposed to fossil fuels, further contribute to the overall benefits.”

Tas Mohamed, interim CEO of Railveyor, said: “The success of the Railveyor at Goldex highlights the importance of collaboration between our team and Agnico Eagle Mines. This partnership has demonstrated that Railveyor is not just a viable alternative to traditional methods but a superior one in terms of safety, cost, and environmental impact.”

Charles Gillies, Chairman of Railveyor and Managing Director at Resource Capital Funds (RCF), a global critical minerals and mining alternatives investment firm, added: “We are proud to have supported Railveyor within RCF Innovation II in bringing this innovative technology to market. The positive impact at Goldex underscores the value of investing in sustainable and transformative mining solutions that can help enable the energy transition and meet the mining industry’s challenges today and in the future.”

As the mining industry continues to push towards sustainability, the success of the Railveyor system at Goldex serves as a benchmark for other operations, Railveyor says. “With its ability to reduce emissions, increase safety and lower costs, Railveyor is setting new standards in mining.”

Mining energy benchmarking platform released for Canada’s miners

Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , ,

MiTRAQ and Natural Resources Canada have unveiled the Mining Energy Benchmarking Platform aimed at transitioning Canada’s mining industry to a low carbon future.

The platform enables analysis of power generation and consumption at mine sites and provides data-driven insight into energy use productivity, according to MiTRAQ.

Developed through the collaboration of MiTRAQ and Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetMINING subsidiary and the Office of Energy Efficiency, the platform provides mining companies with a multi-dimensional understanding of their relative performance within the industry to improve operations and increase their competitive advantage, according to MiTRAQ.

MiTRAQ ensure all data is secure, utilising the latest 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) tokenised data and military grade encryption. At the same time as this, only the mining company representatives can access their own raw data, making all outputs completely anonymous.

Miners with assets in Canada can start using this for free and, in the framework of cooperation, NRCan will subsidise licences so that mining companies can access the platform until June 2021.

MineSense, Commerce Resources look at ore sorting options for Ashram REE project

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Energy minerals, IoT, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Commerce Resources has started a test project initiative with MineSense as part of its ongoing collaboration with CanmetMINING.

The project with Commerce will include assessing the spectral response on 127 course analytical rejects from drill core, comprising five rock types associated with the Ashram rare earth and fluorspar deposit, in Quebec, Canada.

Of these 127 rejects, a total of 72 are from drill core within the Ashram deposit’s primary mineralised zone: the A-Zone. Based on the information collected, MineSense will be able to assess the laboratory-scale efficacy of its technology to the Ashram deposit material. If successful, a value contribution assessment may be completed as a follow up activity for the Ashram project.

MineSense specialises in digital technology solutions for ore-waste classification in real time at the mining stage (run of mine), thereby providing better grade control compared with that of the deposit block model or mine plan. It uses data analytics, combined with its trademarked ShovelSense and BeltSense technologies, to monitor mineralogical or grade changes in an orebody daily, as it is mined. This information allows for optimal ore blending, grade trend characterisation, and overall improved mine planning with resultant cost efficiencies.

The MineSense technology is based on X-ray Fluorescence sensors fitted to specific pieces of mining equipment to monitor the spectral response of the material being actively mined. The technology provides for a higher level of control compared with the typical ore sorting process which occurs at the truck scale in the process plant, Commerce says.

One of the standout deployments of ShovelSense is at Teck Resources’ Highland Valley Copper (HVC) operations in British Columbia.

The funding for the test work at Ashram is provided by Natural Resources Canada through CanmetMINING’s six-year rare earth element (REE) and chromite program (announced in April 2015), focused on developing new extraction technologies, addressing Canadian environmental challenges, and improving the knowledge of Canadian deposits, Commerce says. The company’s contribution to the collaboration is a supply of REE mineralised material from Ashram, in which several tonnes remain readily available from a bulk sample completed in 2012.

The Ashram deposit outcrops at surface, allowing for cost-effective collection of material for test work. As such, the company is actively engaging with various research and academic institutions to support the advancement of the rare earth element industry in Canada, and in Quebec specifically, it said.

The resource base at Ashram consists of 1.59 Mt of material averaging 1.77% total rare earth oxides (TREO) in the measured category, 27.67 Mt at 1.9% TREO in the indicated category and 219.8 Mt at 1.88% TREO in the inferred category. The preliminary economic assessment outlined a 4,000 t/d open-pit operation with a 0.19:1 (waste:ore) strip ratio over a 25-year mine life. Annual production averaged circa-16,850 t of REO over the life of mine.