ArcelorMittal has announced plans for an expansion at its Mont-Wright iron ore mining complex and additional construction at its Port-Cartier industrial complex in Quebec, Canada. The C$2.1-billion investment will allow ArcelorMittal Mines Canada to increase its annual production of iron ore concentrate from 14 million mt to 24 million mt by 2013. An additional $800 million in investment will be required through 2039 to maintain operations.
The investment program will create 8,000 jobs during construction from 2011 to 2014 and more than 900 permanent jobs once completed. “ArcelorMittal Mines Canada is a flagship mining asset for the Group, which offers considerable opportunity for expansion. We have already announced our intention to grow our iron ore production to 100 million mt/y by 2015, and this expansion forms an important part of that,” said Peter Kukielski, head of mining for ArcelorMittal.
The Mont-Wright mine has reserves and resources of 1 billion mt of crude ore, grading approximately 30% iron. ArcelorMittal is currently evaluating increasing its production of iron ore pellets at Port-Cartier from 9.2 million mt/y to 18.5 million mt/y.
ArcelorMittal Mines Canada is ArcelorMittal’s most important source of iron ore. The company operates two large open-pit mines: one at Mont-Wright, the largest of its kind in North America, and one at Fire Lake. The Mont-Wright mining complex includes a concentrator, massive workshops and an automated concentrate train loading system. The site is linked by company rail to the Port-Cartier industrial complex, which includes a pellet plant, storage areas and port facilities for shipping. The company’s stockpile areas at Port-Cartier have a capacity for 2.5 million mt of concentrate and 1.7 million mt of pellets.
Port-Cartier has an annual shipping capacity of more than 20 million mt, making it one of Canada’s largest private ports. Marine traffic tops approximately 450 vessels a year.
