“Two headframes, one mine.” Vale opens $1B Copper Cliff South Mine expansion

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Five years after first announcing plans to expand Copper Cliff Mine South, Vale has officially marked the completion of the project’s initial phase.

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“Two headframes, one mine.” Vale opens $1B Copper Cliff South Mine expansion Back to video

On Wednesday, company officials were joined local politicians, provincial dignitaries, and members of Greater Sudbury’s mining industry to celebrate the opening of Copper Cliff Mine Complex South.

“As a mining industry, we don’t spend enough time on celebrations,” said Deshnee Naidoo, executive vice-president of Vale Base Metals. “Today is the day for exactly that; a little bit of celebration and a lot of appreciation.”

With a price tag of $945 million, the first phase of the project involved re-opening the former South Mine, which has sat dormant since its closure in 2009. More than 12 km of tunnels were constructed to reunite the existing the north shaft to the rejuvenated south shaft, creating a new Copper Cliff Mine Complex.

The project included a rebuild of the CCM South Shaft, major repairs to infrastructure, and expansion for both underground ore and waste handling systems. Surface loadout facilities were also constructed, and the existing ventilation systems were enhanced to make them quieter and more efficient.

Vale predicts that the new mine will nearly double ore production at the Copper Cliff site, adding 10,000 tonnes of contained nickel and 13,000 tonnes of copper per year. Vale said it has also created 270 new jobs.

“The first phase of this project represents an investment of nearly $1 billion, which we see as a critical link in enhancing our supply of low-carbon nickel,” said Naidoo. “With the nickel we produce out of this mine and many other mines in Sudbury, it goes straight into nickel sulfate and into the EVs produced in Ontario and Canada.”

When Vale originally closed South Mine in 2009, the blame was primarily placed on the ongoing recession and the slumping value of nickel. Though Canada is once again on the edge of a looming recession, electric battery production is keeping the value of minerals like nickel in high demand.

“We are uniquely positioned in Ontario, Canada, and the globe to deliver these critical minerals, because it is in the ground for us,” said Naidoo. “I am really excited about what the future holds, and I believe that we are on the cusp of doing something special in Ontario with the natural resources we are blessed with.”

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford was among the guests attending the ceremonial opening.

Ford lauded the occasion as a step towards achieving his government’s Critical Mineral Strategy, a five-year plan announced last spring intended to capitalize on the growing demand for minerals essential to specialized technologies.

“This is a big win for the people of Sudbury and for workers across the province,” he said. “It continues to strengthen Ontario’s mining manufacturing supply chain from north to south. (We’re) connecting our northern Ontario mineral resources with southern Ontario’s manufacturing excellence.

He added, “We’ve talked to leaders around the world and they are looking to four a reliable source, a responsible source, and a sustainable source and that’s what we’re giving them.”

With the first phase of the project complete, Vale said it is in the process of conducting feasibility studies for future development phases of the Copper Cliff Mine Complex. No timeline was giving for when further plans will be announced.

Though Vale officials did not provide details on what projects are being considered, they said their priority is to further explore the mine’s potential to deliver sustainable low-carbon minerals.

The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.

mjensen@postmedia.com

Twitter: @mia_rjensen