Noront said it will take three or four months to assess the bid proposals and they may require further clarity on some issues.

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2018/02/03/sault-presents-its-ferrochrome-plant-bid

Mayor Christian Provenzano

Mayor Christian Provenzano said he’s pleased with the city’s presentation of its ferrochrome plant bid to Noront Resources.

Sault Ste. Marie’s team met with Noront in their Toronto headquarters at 9:30 a.m. and completed their presentation by noon.

“It went well,” Provenzano said after emerging from the presentation. “I think our committee represented the city very well and we were able to answer all the questions they had. They didn’t ask anything that wasn’t addressed in our presentation or our submission.”

Provenzano said questions on the site, power needs, workforce and logistics were all answered for Noront.

The bid package, Provenzano said in a recent interview, came together nicely and should surpass Noront’s expectations and requirements.

It included a slide deck, display boards and technical information from experts.

Sault Ste. Marie is one of four Northern Ontario cities competing to host the ferrochrome plant in the community.

The facility isn’t expected to be built for many years. Ontario’s stringent environmental regulations and obtaining proper permits for the plant will undergo an arduous process in whatever city Noront decides to build.

It’s expected an environmental assessment could take five years after a site is chosen. If a permit is issued, building the plant would take several more years.

It’s estimated that a ferrochrome facility would employ between 300-500 people directly and create more than 1,000 jobs indirectly through suppliers and other businesses.

Provenzano was accompanied by Sault MP Terry Sheehan, MPP Ross Romano, City CAO Al Horsman, Tom Vair, deputy CAO of community development and enterprise, Dan Hollingsworth, EDC’s executive director of business development and PUC CEO Rob Brewer.

“We produced a compelling submission,” Provenzano said. “Our submission includes detailed and thoughtful responses to the information requested by the company. We have determined a path forward for Noront in Sault Ste. Marie based on comprehensive research and analysis by the project team, in consultation with sector experts. I’m confident in the quality of our submission and I want to ensure the community that we put our best foot forward with a great effort.”

Provenzano said the document won’t be released in its entirety because it is in competition with those submitted by other communities.

However, he said, the city’s chosen site is to have a smelter built on Algoma property, near both the Port of Algoma and on a rail spur. There would be no significant road or infrastructure construction needed in order to accommodate the ferrochrome plant. The site is supported by Algoma and it’s expected that synergies could be created with the steel mill.

Provenzano said Noront would also realize significant cost advantages when shipping its products to market from Sault Ste. Marie because of its location as a transportation hub and access to the border. Barge transport from Sault Ste. Marie would provide Noront with the most cost-effective options, industry experts asked to analyze the data, concluded.

In addition, Sault Ste. Marie has a rich manufacturing and industrial history along with a skilled workforce, suppliers and post-secondary institutions able to provide services and workers to the facility.

The city also boasts a quality of life conducive to attracting and retaining talent from around the world.

“I am more than confident that the Sault has the knowledge, the people, the infrastructure and the enthusiasm to produce the very best products in a new ferrochrome production facility,” said Sault MP Terry Sheehan.

MPP Ross Romano agreed. “It is my humble opinion that this process is the start of a very long and mutually beneficial relationship between Noront and the City of Sault Ste. Marie.”

Noront Resources, a Canadian based mining company, has the largest land position in the Ring of Fire. It wants to build a ferrochrome facility in Northern Ontario. Ferrochrome is a key ingredient in stainless steel products.

The Ring of Fire is a massive planned chromite mining and smeltering development project in the far North.

Other communities also bidding on the plant include Sudbury, Timmins and Fort William First Nations.

Noront said it will take three or four months to assess the bid proposals and they may require further clarity on some issues.