Fortune Minerals is set to purchase JFSL Field Service’s former steel fabrication plant for.$5.5 million in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland..Fortune Minerals intends to acquire the site to construct a $600-million hydrometallurgical refinery for the planned NICO Cobalt-Gold-Bismuth-Copper mine in the Northwest Territories..Fortune Minerals’ proposed refinery in Lamont County would process concentrate for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronic devices, and stationary storage cells..Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association represents five area municipalities that work together to attract chemical, petrochemical, oil, and gas investment. The group said the move is strategic for the region..“Fortune Minerals’ innovative vision and metallurgical process technology for the NICO Refinery will promote further energy supply chain integration within North America, solidifying Alberta and Alberta’s Industrial Heartland as a critical jurisdiction for Canada’s energy future,” said executive director Mark Plamondon in a release..The proposed refinery is anticipated to create 100 new jobs and maybe more should the refinery expand to recycling metals from post-consumer batteries from across Alberta..The province took some credit for Fortune Minerals’ announcement..“Alberta’s mineral strategy and action plan capitalizes on our untapped potential and helps meet demand for the critical and rare earth minerals which are essential to supporting a low-carbon economy,” said Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage..“Fortune Minerals’ investment announcement demonstrates that our strategy is working.”.Plamondon cited alignment of the project with the province’s oft-touted environmental-social governance (ESG) values..“The (project) supports our region’s robust diversification efforts and highlights our value proposition for companies looking to execute their capital growth strategies, develop new technologies and advance their ESG priorities.”.The new $231 million, 97-km Tlicho highway to Whati provided the necessary access for the project..The highway “will allow metal concentrates to be trucked from the mine to the rail head at Hay River or Enterprise, NWT for railway delivery to the company’s planned refinery in Alberta.”.Alberta’s Heartland is Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing region..Goesselin is a Western Standard reporter
