Timmins submitting bid to host Noront chromite smelter

One day after Sault Ste. Marie announced its intention to bid for a facility to process ore from Noront Resources, the City of Timmins has also joined the fray.

In a Nov. 7 release, the Timmins Economic Development Corp. (TEDC) said it had received technical documents from the mining company and has been invited to make a case for Timmins to host the facility.

The TEDC said its submission would be in addition to a package it previously submitted to Noront, which outlined “the value-added factors of Timmins’ brownfield sites.”

The TEDC has made the promotion of mining sector activities a priority in its strategic focus, and said its experience previously hosting advanced metallurgical, smelting and refining operations gives it an advantage.

“Significant on-site rail infrastructure, available workforce, and community, stakeholder and regulatory acceptance make Timmins a prime location that exceeds the needs of the NFPF,” Timmins Mayor Steve Black said in the release.

The organization said it would source expertise from the City of Timmins and the Timmins Chamber of Commerce to respond to Noront’s request for proposals for the facility.

“TEDC will compile a stellar bid illustrating unparalleled assets for the (Noront ferrochrome production facility) investment, which would be met with utmost confidence and automatic community support,” said TEDC chair Fred Gibbons.

The TEDC noted several key community stakeholders have already indicted support and/or interest in the initiative, including Ontario Northland.
 

Noront Resources Inc., a Canadian-based mining firm, has the largest land position in the Ring of Fire, an emerging multi-metals area located in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario. The company is looking to establish a facility in the region to process ferrochrome, which is used to produce stainless steel.