Voisey’s Bay Mine in northern Labrador has transitioned to underground mining from open pit, after Vale Base Metals invested US$2.94 billion to expand the operation.
Underway since 2018, the Voisey’s Bay Mine Expansion Project involved the development of two underground mines — Reid Brook and Eastern Deeps — which will feed Vale’s Long Harbour Processing Plant, described by the company as “one of the lowest-emission nickel processing plants in the world.”
The expansion means Voisey’s Bay will increase production of nickel concentrate to 45,000 tonnes per year, add 20,000 tonnes per year of copper, and add 2,600 tonnes per year of cobalt.
They’re considered critical minerals, shipped globally for use in defence manufacturing, battery electric vehicles, and clean energy infrastructure. Voisey’s Bay is a major supplier of nickel to the United States, the company said.
“The successful completion of the Voisey’s Bay expansion demonstrates our commitment to unlocking the value of our endowment and delivering responsibly produced nickel to global markets,” Shaun Usmar, CEO of Vale Base Metals, said in a Dec. 3 news release.
