Grant: Alliance Grants

Despite being one of the pillars of the Canadian economy, the mining industry is responsible for a significant part of CO2 emissions in Canada. Mining in the Arctic poses the particular challenge of energy consumption, relying mainly on diesel fuel. However, although mining activities are increasing in the Arctic, Canada aims to reduce its carbon footprint to 40-45% of its' 2005 level by 2030, and to be carbon neutral by 2050. In order to The Canadian government identified carbon capture and storage (CCS) as one of the many strategies required to reach this goal, and mineral carbonation (MC) is a promising CCS strategy. The main objective of the partnership is to determine the CO2 capture potential through MC of the Raglan and Asbestos Hill mine tailings in continuous permafrost regions, while converting these potentially problematic residues into carbonated by-products suitable for mine site reclamation. The results of the proposed applied research could potentially reduce the carbon footprint of the Canadian mining sector using a CCS approach. In addition, the proposal will tackle the valorization of tailings from the orphaned Asbestos Hill in an approach that will contribute to the reclamation of that abandoned mine site considered very problematic by the Quebec Government and the local Inuit communities. The knowledge and expertise gained within this project will also be applicable in other Canadian mines within ultramafic settings. As such, the project will enable to reduce the overall environmental footprint of Canadian mines in the Arctic, participate to the reduction of its CO2 emissions, enable the valorization of mine waste and contribute to the reclamation of a problematic orphaned mine site. Overall, this project will reinforce the leadership of Canada in the aim for carbon neutrality and responsible management of mine residues, in addition to training HQP that will become experts in this field