The National Research Council is contributing $1.97 million to the development of two continuous tunnel boring machines which could be used in hardrock mines.
The announcement was made by Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Marcel Masse.
Two competing projects will receive about equal financing. Machines Roger International of Val d’Or, Que. will receive $985,609 and a group of four companies, Falconbridge Ltd. (TSE), Placer Dome, J.S. Redpath and Boretec Inc., will receive $986,000.
The Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology will be assisting in both projects.
The machines will be designed to drive small diameter headings, 1 to 2.5 m wide, at about double the rates of conventional drill- blast-and-muck techniques.
Howden Group Canada of Scarborough, Ont. will be building the Falco/Placer/Redpath/Boretec machine.
Machines Roger plans to raise another $4.3 million for its project.
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