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Canada's mild winter interrupts crucial ice roadway to remote Arctic diamond mines

An unusually warm winter in Canada this year has postponed the opening of a 400kilometer ( 250mile) ice road that is rebuilt every year as the primary avenue for Rio Tinto, Burgundy Mines, and De Beers to access their diamond mines in the remote Arctic area.

The Winter Road, which serves the region available just by air for 10 months of the year, opened with a two-week delay in the middle of February, interrupting movement of items along the ice road developed over 64 frozen lakes.

Earlier today, the Tlicho federal government in Northwest Territories (NWT) restricted motion of commercial trucks for few days in among the winter roadways due to awaited warmer weather throughout the North Servant Region.

While diamond production remains unaffected, the hold-up underscores the difficulties that companies face as the mines that make Canada the world's third biggest diamond manufacturer pertained to the end of their efficient life.

It also highlights the facilities difficulty for the NWT and Nunavut that are placing themselves as the next frontiers in the exploration of vital metals, such as rare earth, cobalt and lithium, in the shift to a greener future.

The hold-ups in developing the Winter Road, which initially became operational in 1982, have taken place in the past, but this year's. is the longest delay recently, according to Tom Hoefer,. senior advisor to the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

We did begin the road a bit later on as an outcome, he stated.

Environment modification, driven by the burning of fossil fuels,. coupled with the development of the natural El Nino environment. pattern, pushed the world into record heat area in 2023.

The effect of El Nino this year led to Yellowknife, the. capital of the NWT, taping an optimum temperature of no. degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) in December and minus. 8.7 degrees Celsius (17.6 F) in February, making it the warmest. winter season days in a decade, according to data from Environment. Canada.

The Winter Road opens in between late January and early April. and requires minimum of 29 inches (74 cm) of ice for automobiles. that can bring 26,000 kilograms (57,320 lbs) of gross automobile. weight, to carry diesel and dynamite required to operate the. mines.

On warmer days, the engineers have found methods to technique. nature by developing artificial ice utilizing huge sprinklers to. spray water high up in the air so that they cool and form thick. layer of ice when they fall.

Paul Gruner, CEO of the Native corporation Tlicho. Investment Corp & & Group of Companies stated this year the warm. winter season at the start and if there is a warmer end of the season. or an early spring, it might run the risk of an early closure.

So when you're munching away on both sides of that, you. start to create a very brief season, Gruner said.

The Winter Road is jointly run by Burgundy Diamond. Mines, Rio Tinto and De Beers of Anglo American group. which run the Ekati, Diavik and Gahcho Kue diamond mines. respectively.

De Beers and Burgundy Diamonds stated operations at their. mines have not been affected by the mild winter season. Rio Tinto. decreased comment.

The Winter Road costs C$ 25 million ($ 18.54 million) to. operate for two months, which is shared by the 3 business. based upon goods transferred on the roadway and distance took a trip.

Nevertheless, the mines have a functional life of around 20. years and as they reach completion of life, they need to be shut. down.

Rio Tinto has said it will close the Diavik mine in 2026. and De Beers prepares to shut Snap Lake end of this year, while. seeking to extend the life of Gahcho Kue.

CHICKEN AND EGG

Canada's remote Arctic region, home to around 86,000 individuals,. is facing the complete closure of all the diamond mines by 2030. and is looking for ways to keep mining alive.

The lack of facilities is an obstacle and the reduced. seasonal usage of the ice road could harm financial investments needed to. my own critical minerals.

If you're in the expedition stage ... and taking a look at utilizing. the winter road as part of your core organization design, the threats. begin to come into ... your choice making whether or not to. advance a task, Tlicho Investment's Gruner stated.

Hoefer of NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines stated the 2. Northern territories, which are as huge as Europe, have the. highest facilities deficits in Canada - among the reasons. for the extremely high expenses of living and doing company in the. North.

It is a chicken-and-egg situation, the mining business. most likely won't come unless there is some infrastructure, it's. just too expensive, stated Heather Exner-Pirot, director of. Energy, Natural Resources and Environment program at. Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

It costs C$ 3 million a kilometer to develop gravel roads,. Pirot said.

Mining groups are pushing for a mega facilities project. that connects NWT to Nunavut that goes through the diamond mines. could assist unlock the mineral riches in the area. A minimum of 23. of the 31 crucial minerals listed by the Canadian federal government is. discovered in the NWT.

When the task turns up, it would change the roads that. have actually served mining for 40 years, however up until that happens, the ice. roads are needed, Hoefer stated.

(source: Reuters)