Green future for Goldcorp 
at Borden Lake

VANCOUVER — International miner Goldcorp (TSX: G; NYSE: GG) has partnered with technology firm Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology to make its Borden Lake gold project near Chapleau, Ont., the world’s first all-electric mine.

Mine general manager at Goldcorp’s Porcupine gold mines in Timmins Marc Lauzier tells The Northern Miner during a phone interview that Borden Lake may set a new, higher standard for how mines are built.

“First and foremost, we chose to electrify Borden Lake because Chapleau is a pristine environmental area and we want to keep our footprint as small as possible,” Lauzier says. “Secondly, regulations on greenhouse gas emissions are changing all the time, and they’re becoming harder for us to justify using diesel equipment. So it’s forcing us, as a company, to think of other, more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient ways of doing things.”

In 2015, Goldcorp acquired Borden Lake through the friendly takeover of Probe Mines for $526 million, with the intention to boost production at its Porcupine gold mine complex, 160 km east.

The company expects to deliver by the end of 2018 a prefeasibility study on combining the two operations, as well as a 30,000-tonne underground bulk sample from Borden Lake.

The open-ended, structurally hosted gold deposit has up to 1.7 million oz. gold in reserves and resources. As of June, proven and probable reserves stand at 4.1 million tonnes of 7.14 grams gold, measured and indicated resources of 3 million tonnes at 5.77 grams gold, and 2.3 million inferred tonnes of 5.49 grams gold.

Although no date has been set for commercial production at Borden Lake, Goldcorp has already procured a number of battery-powered gear from a variety of technology firms.

Goldcorp was the first company in Canada to buy Sandvik’s DD422iE underground jumbo, which was recently on display in September at the MINExpo international conference in Las Vegas. The unit produces zero emissions, and features an onboard battery that can recharge during the drill cycle, or while the unit trams downhill.

Sandvik also offers one of the world’s first battery-powered loaders, Sandvik LH307B — which can fully recharge in 15 minutes — and Sandvik DU412i, the latest generation of automated, underground production drill rigs.

Some of the less hefty items for Borden Lake will be supplied by Sudbury-based MacLean Engineering. The manufacturing firm began its electrification program in 2015, and by the time Borden Lake begins development, Goldcorp will have its pick of emission-free mining gear from its catalogue.

Items include scaler-bolters, shotcrete sprayers, transmixers, water cannons, secondary reduction drills, mobile rockbreakers and a variety of utility vehicles, such as boom trucks, scissor lifts and personal carriers.

The last remaining item Goldcorp requires is a fleet of electrified hauling trucks, which Lauzier says is a challenge because “the technology just isn’t there yet.”

He says that “smaller trucks are available on battery power, but it’s the larger trucks that are the issue.”

Although Sandvik couldn’t provide any details on the technical hurdles, one of the challenges may involve fitting the battery pack where the diesel engine would otherwise be. Larger trucks need more power, and limited space within the vehicle may require the battery packs to be smaller and denser than what’s available.

The partnership gives Sandvik three years to adjust the technology to meet Goldcorp’s needs, and Lauzier says he’s “confident they’ll deliver us a truck by the time we’re in full operation.”

“Battery technology has come a long way in such a short period of time,” Lauzier says. “Years ago, they were big and heavy, and the only way to get a full-duty cycle was to switch it out when it was drained. But with new technology, such as lithium-based batteries, we now have the ability to quick charge, and there’s more power for longer — and that’s made all the difference.”

While details of the cost to outfit Borden Lake are scarce, Lauzier says that the initial investment could pay off in the long run.

“The equipment isn’t cheap, so you’ll end up paying more capital upfront, but you’re saving in operating costs over time,” he says.

The biggest savings are in ventilation costs. He says that the size of underground tunnels are dictated more by the amount of ventilation required than the size of the equipment that passes through them. With the mine running at zero emissions, Lauzier says Borden Lake wouldn’t need as much ventilation infrastructure.

Alternatively, for a mine that’s already been built, battery-powered gear can permit companies to increase production and development underground, without placing a heavy load on the mine’s ventilation system.

Lauzier adds the equipment also requires less maintenance, which could drive down operating costs further.

But he points out that improved air quality and substantially less noise for employees underground may be the biggest benefits of an all-electric mine.

“People don’t realize how much innovation and research gets done in the mining industry. It’s not the old industry that we all grew up with. There’s a lot of good stuff happening, and electrifying Borden Lake is just one example,” he says.