Rio Tinto is set to spend millions on integrating ore sorting technology at its Lac Tio mine in Havre-Saint-Pierre, Canada, bolstering the company’s position as a mining innovator.
Lac Tio is situated on the largest solid ilmenite deposit globally. Ilmenite is a titanium-iron oxide mineral used as a fluxing agent in blast furnace feeds and as a sand-blasting abrasive.
To expand Lac Tio’s significance, Rio Tinto will invest $CAD7.6 million ($8.5 million) in a demonstration project to evaluate amalgamating ore sorting technology at the mine.
The initiative aims to test technology that will allow ore sorting directly at the source based on titanium and scandium content, both considered critical minerals in Australia.
If commercially exploitable rock is separated from waste rock more efficiently, the amount of material transported between Lac Tio and Rio Tinto’s Metallurgical and Critical Minerals Complex in Sorel-Tracy could be reduced, resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs.
The project may also look at optimising Sorel-Tracy’s ore pre-treatment process to improve mineral resource management and access parts of the deposit previously considered unprofitable.
“The use of ore sorting technology represents a tangible opportunity to optimise our processes right from the extraction stage, allowing us to maximise value from our resources, while reducing the emissions associated with transporting and processing ore,” Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium and Diamonds managing director Sophie Bergeron said.
The Quebec Government will also contribute $CAD2.5 million to the project via the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests.
“Our government is proud to support Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium in its ore valorisation project,” Natural Resources and Forests Minister Responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions Maïté Blanchette Vézina said.
“In addition to encouraging innovation through the creation of new processes or the improvement of existing ones, this type of initiative helps accelerate the transformation of critical and strategic minerals in Quebec, reinforcing the province’s position as a global leader.
“In a complex geopolitical context and growing global demand for minerals, we must seize these opportunities to advance Quebec’s mining projects.”
The project will be deployed in two phases. The first phase, beginning in 2025, will focus on engineering, commissioning the ore sorting circuit and technological validation.
The second phase, expected to commence in 2026, will see additional equipment integrated at Lac Tio to automate the process and produce multiple batches of enriched ore.
Subscribe to Australian Mining and receive the latest news on product announcements, industry developments, commodities and more.
