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REGIONAL NEWS - U.S. & CANADA Canada Lithium Starts Production in Quebec Commissioning is scheduled for the summer of 2016, with ramp up to 2 million mt/y of production capacity by the end of 2017 and then gradual expansion to 2.86 million mt/y by 2023. Capital expenditures are budgeted at C$4.1 billion to reach the 2.86-million-mt/y production target. Further expansion is estimated to be as much as 4 million mt/y. K+S Potash Canada is a subsidiary of Germany's K+S Group, one of the world's leading suppliers of standard and specialty fertilizers. The group employs more than 14,000 people worldwide. Lundin Reports Progress at Eagle Project After testing and commissioning its processing plant, shown here, in Quebec, Canada Lithium began producing and shipping high-grade lithium carbonate to a Chinese industrial customer. (Photo courtesy of Canada Lithium Corp.) Canada Lithium Corp. produced its initial run of 99.1% lithium carbonate from its processing plant 60 km north of Val d'Or, Quebec, in early July. The material was then upgraded to 99.5% battery-grade material during the commissioning of the plant's solvent extraction and bicarbonate circuits. The first shipment to the Tewoo Group in China under a five-year off-take agreement occurred soon thereafter. All circuits of the Canada Lithium mine and plant had been tested at commissioning-level volumes, and the company said it is ramping up production to design capacity of 20,000 metric tons per year (mt/y) of lithium carbonate, which it expects to achieve during the first quarter of 2014. The mining and crushing operations will add second shifts over the next few months. At full production, the openpit operation will mine approximately 1 million mt/y of ore. Canada Lithium anticipates that the initial operation will consist of open-pit mining to a depth of 150 m below surface, utilizing 150-mt haul trucks and hydraulic excavators. Mine life is currently estimated at 14.9 years. 8 E&MJ; • AUGUST 2013 Canada Lithium also reported that it has been awarded Certificates of Registration for both its Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety systems. The Environmental Management system certificate was granted for compliance with ISO 14001:2004, while the OH&S; Management system was certified under the BS OHSAS 18001:2007. K+S Potash Canada Signs Rail Transport Contract K+S Potash Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) on July 10, signed an exclusive long-term, volume-based contract for the transportation of potash products from K+S Potash's Legacy solution mining potash project 50 km north of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The contract calls for potash to be moved from the Legacy site to a western Canadian port for export to overseas destinations and via CP's extensive rail network to Canadian and U.S. markets. To accommodate the transportation needs of the Legacy site, CP will build a dedicated rail spur to the site. The Legacy project will be the first new greenfield potash mine built in Saskatchewan in nearly 40 years. Lundin Mining said on July 17 it had closed its acquisition of the Eagle nickel-copper mine construction project on Michigan's Upper Peninsula from Rio Tinto, previously announced on June 12, (E&MJ;, July 2013, p. 5). In a project update, Lundin reported that Eagle project construction is more than 50% complete, and initial production is expected to begin during the fourth quarter of 2014. Project ramp-up is proceeding well, according to the company. Earthworks, concrete installation, and steel erection are under way at the mill site. The contract for mine-site coarse ore storage has been awarded, and the contractor and all vendors have been mobilized. New delivery dates are being finalized. Most equipment has been ordered and is expected to be delivered to site prior to year-end. Approximately 100 construction personnel were on site in mid-July, with a peak of approximately 350 expected later this year. Eagle has approximately 70 people on staff and recruiting is under way to support the objective of ramping up to approximately 220 staff in the third quarter of 2014. Opportunities for schedule acceleration are being explored. Annual Eagle mine production over the first three full years of operation (2015–2017) is expected to average approximately 23,000 mt of nickel and www.e-mj.com