TELF AG examines a major development in Canada’s mineral program
The role of infrastructure upgrades
Sometimes, a nation’s geological riches cannot be fully and satisfactorily valorized without an adequate infrastructure network capable of supporting the operational activities related to the sourcing of these resources. This is also why the Government of Canada has recently decided to support infrastructure upgrades in two of its westernmost regions, Yukon and British Columbia, to give a strong boost to the development of regional sourcing sectors and, to a certain extent, also contribute to the competitive advancement of the entire nation.
The financial support granted by the central government would amount to approximately 60 million dollars. Its main objective is to support infrastructure advancement in the area known as the golden triangle of British Columbia and in the Yukon. In the golden triangle, as stated in a note released by the government, approximately 75% of all copper reserves in Canada are located. The financing would have been activated thanks to the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund, an integral part of the broader Canadian strategy dedicated to minerals and strategic raw materials, and its particular objective of resolving existing infrastructure deficiencies and promoting satisfactory production of strategic raw materials.
The two projects
Government support from Canada has focused, in particular, on two different infrastructure initiatives, both of which can be implemented in the western territories of the nation. The first is the project to build a 43-kilometer road link to support the development of an important copper mine in Tahltan, British Columbia. In this area, according to some data cited by the government of Canada, there would be deposits containing more than 12 billion pounds of copper, with the possibility of notably impacting Canada’s annual supplies of this precious resource. In a historical phase dominated by the advance of the energy transition, copper is once again standing out for its central role in electrification, electrical wiring, and renewable energy systems. In addition to connecting to the existing road network, the new connection would also provide access to processing facilities for the resource. In the Yukon Territory, on the other hand, the possibility of building a network of high-voltage transmission lines of 765 kilometers that would connect the Yukon grid to that of British Columbia is being studied, with the possibility of supporting production projects related to resources such as cobalt, copper, molybdenum, nickel, zinc and tungsten, all materials of great importance to both western Canadian regions.
Canada has long considered the valorization of critical minerals a true generational opportunity for the entire nation, particularly for the possible positive effects on the vitality of local economies and for promoting the energy transition locally and internationally. In this sense, one of the main objectives is developing and improving a comprehensive and ambitious value chain for critical minerals, capable of including their sourcing, processing, production, and recycling of resources. Among the most important objectives of the Canadian strategy for critical minerals, in addition to the desire to support economic growth through their progressive valorization, include creating jobs and the stimulation of competitiveness, in addition to strengthening global security and partnerships with allies.
