Labrador Mining Industry to Benefit from Cleaner Energy with New Power Transmission Line

August 16, 2019

Today, the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment, on behalf of the Honourable Siobhan Coady, Minister of Natural Resources, and Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, announced funding for a new power transmission line and terminal station in western Labrador. 

“It’s great news for Labrador that a new transmission line is being constructed to support the mining industry, offset reliance on diesel, and contribute to a green economy. As a province, we have initiated Mining the Future 2030 – A Plan for Growth in the Newfoundland and Labrador Mining Industry and The Way Forward on Mineral Development. The initiative announced today supports the work we are doing to achieve our Mining the Future goals,” said Honourable Siobhan Coady, Minister of Natural Resources.

This project involves building a new terminal station and a 27-kilometre transmission line from Nalcor Energy’s Menihek Hydroelectric Generating Station existing transmission line to the Tata Steel Minerals Canada processing site. This new infrastructure will enable Tata Steel Minerals to offset diesel-fired generation with clean, renewable hydropower, reducing the mine’s diesel consumption by up to 40 per cent. This project will support continued growth of Labrador’s mining industry while lowering greenhouse gas emissions for a cleaner environment, both now and in the future. 

“Access to reliable sources of clean, renewable energy is essential to building a healthy, sustainable future. This project will benefit Newfoundland and Labrador by reducing its reliance on diesel and eliminating more than 558,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere over the lifespan of the project, protecting families and the environment,” said Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador

The Government of Canada is investing more than $6.8 million in this transmission project, which will be constructed by Nalcor Energy, through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.

“The Provincial Government is working hard to leverage all available federal funds under the Investing in Canada Plan and we are pleased to support opportunities for job creation and economic development. The transmission line project is an excellent example of how government and industry can work together to transition to a green economy and promote clean growth and sustainability in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Honourable Lisa Dempster, Municipal Affairs and Environment