TELF AG explores Nova Scotia’s mineral potential
The role of the provincial districts in the great game of mineral raw materials
For some time now, the belief seems to have spread that mining strategies represent a prerogative for central governments, international institutions, or the big players in the sector as if it were a strategic plan so complex as to require the direct involvement by the highest political, economic and institutional representatives of a nation. But the rapid progress of the energy transition, together with the attractive opportunities it brings with it, is changing the cards on the table, also pushing individual provinces, districts, or regions to equip themselves with their mining strategy to develop their economic potential, in perfect consonance with the objectives of the nation or state to which they belong. This is the case of Nova Scotia, one of the Canadian provinces in the eastern portion of the country, directly overlooking the Atlantic.
According to the provincial authorities, the development of a mining strategy for Nova Scotia will not only contribute to the revival of the local economy (also making its contribution to the growth of the whole of Canada). Still, it will provide new impetus for the energy transition, bringing the province and nation closer to ambitious decarbonization goals. Nova Scotia’s strategy should also include the development of a real mining industry, which, according to the forecasts of local authorities, will be able to contribute in a relevant way to the creation of jobs and the construction of a safe and reliable value chain capable of influencing the economy of the entire nation positively. Also included in the strategy is a list of 16 minerals considered strategic, or “critical,” for international objectives linked to climate neutrality or reducing emissions. According to Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources, these minerals can undoubtedly prove very useful for the diffusion of renewable energy, healthcare, and food production. The cornerstones of Nova Scotia’s mining strategy would be represented by innovation, research, and development in this specific sector and by the search for interesting partnership opportunities with other representatives of the mining universe.
Canada’s mineral wealth
Nova Scotia’s mineral wealth should not arouse too many surprises: globally, Canada is recognized as one of the leaders in the sector, and over the years, it has managed to improve the level of exploration, extraction, and all other activities related to the processing of mineral resources, such as the production of downstream products. Canada is also a global leader in potash production and is among the world’s top five producers of other specific resources, such as niobium, platinum group metals, indium, gold, and precious stones. In 2021, Canada’s mineral production exceeded $55 billion thanks to extraction and production activity concentrated in 200 mines and more than 6,500 sand, gravel, and stone quarries.
The so-called “critical” minerals for the energy transition are all those that, in one way or another, could contribute to the manufacture of some green technologies or even just some parts of them. We are referring, for example, to copper, used in energy transmission lines, to rare earths, used for some time in the magnets that make the operation of wind turbines and electric motors possible, and of course, to lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which represent three very useful elements for electric vehicle batteries.
