Headquarters
Sudbury, Ontario

Network Director
Douglas Morrison

Managing Director
Bora Ugurgel

Board chair
Roger Emdin

Building a safe and sustainable deep mining sector

Diminishing mineral resources in surface mines is driving the exploration of ultra-deep deposits (more than 2.5 km) of gold, nickel, copper and other specialized metals once thought inaccessible and uneconomical. With much of the global expertise that sustained the ultra-deep mining industry over the last 30 years heading towards retirement, educational institutions are struggling to meet even a 15% replacement rate. Today, the largest pool of strong mining expertise in the world is in Canada. A national network is now providing the training and research needed to help the resource extraction industry become a leader in deep mining expertise and attract more international investments in natural resources.

Among the results

• With support from UDMN, Industrial Fabrication Inc. partnered with FVT Research Inc. to develop a new electric motor that can replace existing diesel engines in heavy-duty utility vehicles. This world first significantly reduces ventilation costs—which account for 30-50% of a deep mine’s (over 2.5 km) operating expenses—as well as fuel and maintenance costs.
• UDMN held its second annual network symposium in December 2016, where 95 attendees, including project participants and mining industry representatives, learned from each other and identified synergies between themes and projects. The symposium also featured two panels on commercialization and industry innovations, as well as an awards ceremony to highlight significant accomplishments from the previous year.
• In November 2016, UDMN hosted a lecture series with Steven Bluhm, CEO of the BBE Group of companies, a world leader in mine ventilation and cooling system design. More than 100 people attended, including industry representatives and students from Laurentian University and Cambrian College.
• With support from UDMN, Maestro Mine Ventilation reached the commercialization stage of its project to design and develop a digital gas sensor to help protect miners from acute or chronic gas related to health conditions.

Connect with UDMN

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