Name of the Project
Bloom Lake iron mine energy conversion projects.

Location
The Bloom Lake property is located on the south end of the Labrador Trough, about 13 km north of Fermont, in Quebec, Canada.

Client
Quebec Iron Ore (QIO), a subsidiary of Champion Iron.

Project Description
The Bloom Lake mine is an openpit truck-and-shovel operation with a concentrator.

Champion Iron was granted financial assistance from the Quebec government’s Green Fund to fund two energy-conversion projects at its Bloom Lake mine in June.

The first project involves the replacement of a steam boiler, which has been operating using light fuel oil, with an electrode steam boiler in the plant’s main boiler room. 

The new boiler will meet a significant portion of the demand for process steam and midseason heating requirements. 

The switch from fuel oil to electric heating will reduce not only the fuel consumption of the mine but also the environmental footprint and operating costs.

The second project involves the installation of an overhead conveyor to transport iron-ore.

Mined ore has historically been transported by 240-t-capacity trucks to the crusher and then transported on a conveyor to the storage site. The new overhead conveyor will significantly reduce the use of trucks, thus reducing QIO’s diesel consumption by a projected 3.4-million litres.

The two energy conversion projects are expected to reduce Bloom Lake’s greenhouse-gas emissions by about 19 689 t/y of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Jobs to Be Created
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
QIC has been granted C$5.2-million in financial assistance from the Quebec government’s Green Fund.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Champion Iron VP corporate secretary (Canada) Jorge Estepa, tel +1 416 866 2200 or email jestepa@championiron.com.