Vale's $2-billion Clean Atmospheric Emissions Reduction (AER) project has received final approval to go forward and construction is expected to begin in April.
When completed in 2015, the project will reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by 70 per cent of current levels. The current regulatory limit for sulphur dioxide emissions is 66 kilotonnes per year; Vale expects to be at 45 kilotonnes per year when the AER project comes online.
“This project is an important undertaking and will utilize the latest technological innovations available to us to retrofit our smelter complex,” said John Pollesel, chief operating officer for Vale Canada Limited and director of Base Metals for Vale’s North Atlantic operations, in a news release. “We are creating a new legacy through this project—cleaner air for Sudbury, Ontario and Canada. It’s a proud day and great news for all of us who work, live, and raise families in this wonderful community.”
The Clean AER project is expected to take eight million hours of labour and will need 1,300 workers during peak construction.
Vale has already invested heavily in the project, spending some $100-million on research and development over the past four years in preparation for final project approval. Project Director Dave Stefanuto says the Clean AER Project will be huge in both scope and logistical execution.
“During the overhaul, the smelter will continue to operate regularly,” Stefanuto said in the release. “We have already put a lot of time, energy, and resources into planning to ensure safety and efficiency, and now we’re ready to begin construction.”
The Clean AER project is part of a $10-billion investment into Vale's Canadian operations over the next five years, $3.4 billion of which will go into the Sudbury complex.
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