The BC Work’s smelter in Kitimat is powered by the Kemano Powerhouse, which receives water from the Nechako Reservoir via a single tunnel that is over 60 years old. Since the completion of the second tunnel, Rio Tinto has been operating both T1 and T2 together, ensuring the long-term reliability of the power supply that energizes Rio Tinto’s BC Works smelter in Kitimat. The smelter produces aluminium with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.  

Rio Tinto estimates the project contributed approximately $850 million to the BC economy and employed approximately 340 people at its peak. Rio Tinto and all the contractors working on the Kemano T2 Project worked to maximize the involvement of local businesses and First Nations throughout the duration of the project.  

Pictured: Steve Wrixton, Cementation

Compass Mineral’s Goderich mine is a salt mine located on the East shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada. Cementation was awarded this Engineer, Procure and Construct (EPC) project to demolish and replace two headframes, reline both shafts, install full circumference hydrostatic steel liners in both No1 and No2 Shafts as well as significant mine ventilation infrastructure upgrades. The design and installation methodologies had to ensure that mine production continued while sealing the mine shafts to stop current water ingress from entering the mine. 

The Goderich Mine Shafts Relining Project, which was a complex and challenging scope of work, executed over 1673 days, with 543,474 work hours and no lost time injuries, achieving safe substantial completion by mid-February 2019. The safe work execution was a result of extensive planning, with a dedication to health and safety, as all the project team went beyond a culture of compliance, to one of commitment.