Innovation centre planning $4M expansion in Sudbury: NORCAT growing underground centre by 12,000 square feet to meet demand.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: MINING

NORCAT is planning a $4-million expansion at its underground centre to meet growing demand for the development, testing and commercialization of new mining technologies.

Situated northwest of Sudbury in the community of Onaping, the underground facility was established in 1997 at the former operating Fecunis Adit Mine, previously owned by Falconbridge (now Glencore).

Don Duval, NORCAT's CEO, noted the organization is the only non-profit regional innovation centre globally to have an operating mine dedicated to helping startup companies develop, test and demonstrate emerging technologies in an operating mine environment.

The centre also offers skilled labour training in areas such as underground hard rock common core.

Over the last few years, NORCAT has marketed the centre as a one-stop shop for mining technology and innovation, and business has been brisk, Duval said.

Now supporting more than 40 technology and innovation projects, he said demand is quickly outpacing the facility's capabilities.

"We're hosting, on average, one mining company per week, sending delegates to our facility to see, touch and feel emerging technologies that are not only poised to transform the global mining industry, but they're seeking to better understand technologies that align and potentially address some of their innovation priorities as a company," Duval said.

The $4-million expansion calls for an above-ground addition of just over 12,000 square feet, which will include new offices for technology companies, demonstration space, and meeting rooms for buyers and sellers to conduct business.

"So you can envision a mining technology company and a mining company going to the underground centre, going into the operating mine, evaluating, looking at, examining emerging technologies that the mining technology is demonstrating," Duval explained.

"When that is concluded underground you would then migrate to the surface operations in a vibrant technology environment where the mining technology company representatives and the mining company can discuss the technology."

Duval said the expansion will be funded with capital from NORCAT and government partners, but the organization is still working on securing the funding.

If all goes to plan, construction is slated to be...