What have been the key milestones for Cementation Americas over the past year?

Cementation completed a ventilation raise, pioneering new techniques, and began construction of a deeper ventilation shaft in Nevada. We have also delivered on major projects in Ontario, are currently working with clients in Sudbury and have additional projects in the pipeline in Canada. Given the high gold prices, there is increased activity in the gold sector. Our order book is growing significantly, and Cementation is well-positioned to meet the market demands in both the US and Canada.

Are there indicators of renewed confidence in the US mining sector?

In contrast to the past three years, we are seeing large capital projects out for tender. That signals confidence in the ability to return on investment, as well as the timelines for return. We’ve seen encouraging progress toward the government approval of mining projects in the western US. The US government is making progress toward streamlining the regulatory process for approving mining projects, which is strengthening optimism.

What are the main constraints for underground mining development?

Regulatory constraints are always going to exist, and for good reason. Mining permanently changes the earth, and how the environmental impact of mining is managed and mitigated is critically important. Both the US and Canada have very high environmental standards, and there are efforts to ease regulatory burdens and reduce overly complex hurdles that hinder project progress. There is a growing shortage of skilled labor in the mining sector, with all industry players competing for a limited and increasingly strained pool of talent. Although mining is a good, high-paying career field, interest from the younger generation is insufficient to meet demand. This challenge is further compounded by a wave of retirements across the industry, accelerating the loss of experienced workers and widening the skills gap. As a result, a greater emphasis is being placed on training and workforce development, and Cementation continues to heavily invest in building skills, developing internal talent, and strengthening the next generation of mining professionals.

A slow mining market over the past years has caused mining equipment companies to limit their investments, and factories to run at lower capacity. Consequently, there is now almost a year’s lead time to acquire underground mining equipment. Whoever currently has the people and equipment has the best ability to perform work, and if you don’t, the next couple of years will be challenging.

How do you see the adoption of new technologies and automation in underground mining, and what are the trade-offs between diesel-electric and fully battery-electric equipment?

OEMs have made good strides in automation, and we are seeing the results of it. Cementation has employed an OEM’s autonomous Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) solution. As the equipment can be controlled from the surface, we can continue working during blast times when the air is too dangerous for humans to inhale, significantly increasing our cycle times and active work hours.

We also see more hybrid and electric equipment being offered and utilized. Cementation has deployed two hybrid diesel electric LHDs at a client’s project in northern Ontario and has seen excellent results. Battery-electric equipment has demonstrated strong performance, particularly in reducing emissions and improving underground air quality. However, a mine must essentially be designed with electric equipment in mind; otherwise, challenges arise related to battery change frequency and whether you can complete a full operating cycle rather than a partial one.

Mines in the western US are not typically as deep as in Ontario, but they do tend to have larger heading sizes, which corresponds with higher equipment density on-site. As heading sizes increase, equipment density rises accordingly. Battery-electric vehicles help address this challenge by significantly reducing on-site emissions, lowering ventilation demands, and supporting a safe and sustainable operating environment while also increasing the potential for longer, more productive operating periods.

What are Cementation Americas’ priorities and goals moving forward?

Cementation continues to pursue projects in partnership with clients whose values align with ours, recognizing that this alignment is key to achieving stronger, shared project success. This foundation allows us to provide skilled personnel who can execute the work safely, effectively and in a way that supports long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.