Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM) on June 9 officially commissioned the province’s first potash mine, located in the Hamlet of Harrowby, approximately 16 kilometers west of the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth, Man.
The mine will initially produce 50,000-100,000 mt/y using a selective solution mining process, which PADCOM expects will increase to up to 250,000 mt/y or more over an expected life of up to 100 years. Last summer, PADCOM said its plan was to sell the product to a single customer loaded on trucks (GM June 17, 2022) with the buyer responsible for logistics. No offtake deal has yet been announced.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Economic Development and Investment and Trade Minister Jeff Wharton were on hand for the commissioning event. Stefanson said the project is part of the government’s commitment to position Manitoba as a global leader in sustainable mineral development.
“PADCOM has been persistent in their efforts to develop this resource for the benefit of the region and the province, and it is wonderful to see all of that hard work finally pay off,” she said. “In addition to the economic and social benefits, it is important to note that the selective solution mining technique that this mine will utilize is environmentally friendly technology.”
In March, PADCOM received final approval to commence commercial production from the Director of the Mining, Oil, and Gas Branch of the Manitoba Department of Economic Development, Investment, and Trade (GM March 17, p. 1). At that time, construction of the project was estimated at 99% complete.
PADCOM invested more than $12 million in the project, with Gambler First Nation as a 20% equity partner. Stefanson said the mine will be a carbon-neutral facility, and its use of green Manitoba Hydro energy will make it “the lowest carbon-emitting potash mine in the world.”
Among the projects still to complete, according to PADCOM President Daymon Guillas, are building a rail spur to start shipping tons to Canada and the US; boiler and dry centrifuge infrastructure; and building vessel loading facilities at the Port of Churchill in Manitoba to start shipping tons to Europe and Brazil.