Recognized internationally as a leader in innovation and sustainable development, our mining sector works tirelessly to increase the quality of life of Quebecers while propelling our economy – today and for years to come. Here’s how.
Quebec mines actively contribute to global efforts in the area of sustainable development. First by providing some of the raw materials essential to new green technologies, the demand for which is constantly increasing, and second by investing in research and development to significantly reduce its environmental footprint. Overview with Normand Mousseau, professor of physics at the University of Montreal and scientific director of the Trottier Energy Institute at Polytechnique Montreal.
1 – Prioritize sustainable development
For years, our mining industry, which has been subject to very high standards in terms of environmental protection and sustainable development established by the Government of Quebec, has continued to transform to minimize its ecological footprint, to modernize its operations. and to ensure optimal safety for its employees. Pioneers in terms of innovation, Quebec mines rank among the best rated in the world. “When using non-renewable resources, the issue of sustainable development is as important as it is complex,” says Normand Mousseau. And sustainable development obviously starts with protecting the environment around the mine, not just in the short term, but also for decades, if not hundreds of years after mining. Among the innovations that have made Quebec’s reputation, we can cite major investments in the recovery of mining residues and in the treatment of water with bacteria, as well as the use of wind energy, solar panels and electric transport systems for reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
2 – Support the energy transition thanks to critical and strategic minerals
Certain minerals present in our soils are essential to ensure the future of Quebec, both from an economic point of view and in terms of energy transition. Among these critical and strategic minerals so designated by the Government of Quebec, we notably count lithium, graphite, niobium, titanium, cobalt, nickel, copper, platinum group elements and rare earth elements. . Essential in reducing GHGs, these minerals are used, among other things, in the manufacture of wind turbines, solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles, which play a crucial role in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
3 – Drive technological innovation and scientific advances
The valuation of critical and strategic minerals in Quebec also plays a key role in the development of the technologies of the future. These minerals are essential for the manufacture of smart devices that accompany us on a daily basis – mobile phones, tablets, computers, connected objects – and they are used in the deployment of advanced technologies, in particular to support advances in artificial intelligence and telecommunications. and in the aerospace field. Not to mention the health sector, which uses these minerals in medical imaging and in the manufacture of lasers or even exoskeletons that facilitate physical rehabilitation.
4 – Contribute to global decarbonisation
“Quebec’s mining sector is participating in the transformation of the global economy by supporting the development of clean technologies and by abandoning certain minerals to favor others that have a lower environmental impact,” explains Normand Mousseau. A concrete example: Hydro-Québec has developed lithium batteries by replacing the cobalt traditionally used by iron phosphate. “Phosphorus and iron are available in large quantities all over the planet, just like lithium, by the way, even if it is not exploited as widely as it could be,” continues the professor. This breakthrough allows us to develop batteries which have a very low environmental weight and which will also be recyclable. He points out that two Quebec companies have developed very advanced processes that allow the recycling of batteries – the components of which also include graphite, a mineral of the future whose exploitation is booming in Quebec. Easily exportable advances, the benefits of which will be felt beyond borders. “These developments allow us to make the minerals exploited last, and to reduce the environmental footprint of industry as well as that of humanity,” concludes Normand Mousseau.
5 – Reduce the costs of sustainable development
According to Professor Mousseau, today we have all the technologies necessary to effect an energy transition at a reasonable cost. “But we will have to work harder and focus on the production of renewable energy based on minerals. These are of course non-renewable and we remove them only once from the basement, but we do not lose them, we can recycle them. “Thus, we can recover the components of cars, which we have been recycling for a long time, and we will soon be able to recycle the batteries of electric vehicles almost entirely by relying on new scientific advances. “We must now ensure that we have regulations in place and a good structure for recycling costs – and determine who will assume them,” continues Normand Mousseau. It is not a question of engineering, because the technology is there, but a question of economy and taxation which goes far beyond the mining context. This is the challenge of the hour. He adds that the expenses related to the energy transition are constantly falling, and that they are even falling at breakneck speed. “The cost of achieving neutrality in 2050 is quite achievable for a country like Canada. “
6 – Create quality jobs in the regions
Gone are the days when virtually everyone in a mine worked underground. The constant diversification of mining activities and the increased use of new technologies continuously lead to the creation of new rewarding and well-paid jobs. The sector employs not only mining engineers, but also graduates in chemical, metallurgical, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as geologists and biologists. As for the extraction and transport of ore, these activities are carried out more and more automatically, from the surface, to ensure optimum worker safety. So many quality jobs, which contribute to the progress of a booming sector, and which play an important role in the economic development of the regions of Quebec – and of Quebec itself.
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