PROJECT PRESENTATION
Dalhousie Pozzolan
WHAT IS POZZOLAN?
Dalhousie pozzolan is a rock made of volcanic ash ejected about 400 million years ago by the active volcano of Mount Sugarloaf. This rock can partially replace a substance used in the production of cement called “clinker” (calcined limestone). It would only need to be finely ground.
Purpose of the project
The objective of the project is to provide the cement industry with a very low carbon footprint cementitious material that will reduce the clinker-cement ratio and thus reduce the need for clinker, the production of which is the source of significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
When limestone is heated in a cement plant kiln, its decomposition under the effect of the heat leads to the production of carbon dioxide (CO2). Since the ground pozzolan does not need to be heated, all emissions related to the decomposition of the limestone as well as those related to the use of fossil fuels for heat production will be avoided.
The Dalhousie Pozzolan Project has the potential to reduce GHG emissions from the Canadian cement industry by up to 3 million tons per year. That's the equivalent of taking 1 million medium-sized cars off the road every year.
A large deposit and the necessary infrastructure
There is a large deposit of pozzolan at the project site in Dalhousie.
In addition, all the necessary infrastructure for the project is already in place: the quarry, the railway, a high voltage power line, and the port.
Benefits for individuals and communities
The project would bring several benefits to the community:
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The project would create jobs, both directly and indirectly.
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A royalty would be paid to the municipality
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The municipal taxes on the site would increase, providing additional revenue to the municipality.
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Infrastructure that was no longer in use would be revitalized.
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We would also like to develop a partnership with the Ugpi’ganjig First Nation.
A project in 2 phases
The quarry
A quarry is already operating on the site. It has been there since 1932. For the first two years, the plan would be to continue operating this quarry and sell the construction stone.
These operations would be the same as those currently taking place at the quarry.
Meanwhile, a feasibility study on the extraction of pozzolan would be conducted. This study would include an environmental impact assessment.
Phase 1
Phase 2
The pozzolan mine
If the project is approved, pozzolan extraction would begin. The project's classification would change, and the quarry would become a mine.
Provisional timeline
Pozzolan production: a simple process
To produce pozzolan, we would take the stone from the quarry and grind it more finely.
Even the rejected stone that is unsuitable for construction could be processed in this way. Because of this, there would be no waste. Everything extracted from the quarry would be used.
Valuable dust that would be captured
The rock would be ground in a closed building since we would want to minimize the amount of dust released into the air as much as possible, for two reasons:
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To comply with regulations and promote good relations with the community.
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To capture and sell the dust as a product.
Few new infrastructures to build
New infrastructures would be needed at the port to load the ships.
To transport the products from the quarry to the port, a few scenarios are possible. These scenarios will be evaluated in the environmental impact study.
Quarry expansion and creation of a conservation area
Currently, the quarry’s production is 55,000 tons per year. By 2027, the goal would be to reach a production of 3 million tons per year, including:
• 2 million tons per year of pozzolan
• 1 million tons per year of construction aggregates
To do this, the quarry would need to be expanded. A conservation area would also be created.
On the map, the solid yellow rectangle represents the current approximate area of the quarry. The dotted yellow line represents the projected expansion. The purple rectangle represents the conservation area.
Please note:
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The land within the conservation area (in purple) would be protected.
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The project would not touch the hiking trail on the mountain (Dalhousie Mountain Peak Trail). There would be 200 m of wooded area between the quarry and the trail.
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There would also be 200 m of wooded area between the quarry and the École Aux Quatre Vents.
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The project would not create any new industrial sites.
The views from the trail would not change
The views of the landscape from the Dalhousie Mountain Trail would not change.
The view from the trail looking south
The view from the trail looking north, towards the quarry
A crucial step : studying the project’s environmental impacts
An environmental assessment will need to be conducted to understand the potential impacts of the project on air, water, wildlife, vegetation, and the local population.
We are also preparing a proposal for a citizen consultation process. This would involve meetings and activities that would allow people who live in the area to actively contribute to the environmental assessment and determine the conditions under which the project could move forward.
