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After the Bloom Lake iron ore mine was restarted in 2018, BBA carried out the feasibility study for Phase II. As a result of the positive results from this study, the consulting engineering firm was selected as the lead partner to operate a second high-purity iron ore concentrator, from detailed engineering to project commissioning.
BBA has designed all the iron concentrators in Canada for the past 50 years, supporting clients from construction to operation. This cutting-edge expertise was put to good use in designing the high-purity iron ore concentrator for Phase II of the Bloom Lake mine site and in ensuring associated equipment was commissioned and operated reliably, on time and on budget. Thanks to the collaborative work of BBA’s experienced team and the QIO team, the Phase II plant demonstrated its ability to operate at full capacity in just a few weeks
To optimize equipment and costs, the engineers reused almost all the existing components and infrastructure on site. For example, the team refurbished an existing building that dated back to 2012 to make it compatible with the new process. This required a great deal of creativity and flexibility from the engineers, who were faced with numerous constraints.
Quebec Iron Ore produces one of the purest high-purity iron ore concentrates in the world and has one of the lowest carbon footprints thanks to hydropower. The Bloom Lake mine has an annual production capacity of 15 million tonnes of high-purity iron per year, which reduces GHG emissions from steel production by 1.9 tonnes of CO2 annually, a level equivalent to taking 420,000 cars off the road each year. BBA has been partnering with QIO since 2018 and is proud to support them in this project, which is helping the steel industry decarbonize.
