Artemis Gold Inc. (TSXV: ARTG) has received approval of its BC Mines Act Permit for the Blackwater Mine project in Central British Columbia.
The approval of the BC Mines Act Permit is the final step required to allow Artemis Gold to commence major works construction activities at Blackwater Mine in Q1 2023 with the expectation of an initial gold pour in H2 2024.
“Congratulations to Artemis Gold, the Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation, Ulkatcho First Nation, and Carrier Sekani First Nations, and communities in the area for their work together to advance this critically important project through the mine permitting and review process to final approval and construction,” said David Eby, Premier of British Columbia.
“The Blackwater Gold project will put lots of people to work and create a wide range of opportunities and benefits for local businesses, communities and First Nations while ensuring the highest standards of environmental protection, mitigation and sustainability,”
“British Columbians will benefit from hundreds of new jobs from this new mine, with both its construction and multiple decades of operation,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, for British Columbia, Canada. “Artemis Gold has designed a world-class mine that supports the economic needs of the local region; brings First Nations in as partners in training, business development and jobs opportunities; and helps to meet provincial climate targets with the use of sustainable, clean electricity.”
Artemis Gold Chairman and CEO, Steven Dean, said the approval of the BC Mines Act Permit is the culmination of a substantial amount of work completed by our team in collaboration with our First Nation partners and the provincial government.
“The Blackwater Mine has been designed to have one of the smallest carbon footprints for an open pit gold project in the world, with a defined path forward to substantially reduce that footprint further and potentially achieve net zero carbon emissions through the integration of a zero-exhaust-emission haul fleet by 2029.
“Blackwater also represents a generational opportunity to create employment and economic activity for our First Nation partners, each of their communities, and B.C.’s Nechako and Cariboo regions. This approval is further evidence that Blackwater meets world class standards for responsible mineral exploration and development in British Columbia.”
The Blackwater Mine is estimated to be the largest gold mine development project in the Cariboo region of B.C. in more than a decade, supporting regional employment over multiple decades with the potential to be extended through further exploration.
Blackwater has also been designed to some of the highest environmental standards and in accordance with proven best practices.
Blackwater is to be connected to the BC Hydro grid, which is powered by hydroelectricity providing it with a sustainable source of renewable energy. This provides the foundation for Blackwater to be developed into one of the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting open pit mining operations in the world.
Artemis Gold has invested in a fully electrified process plant with all diesel and propane components replaced with electric equipment, further reducing the carbon footprint of the mine. A unique agreement with Caterpillar Inc. provides a potential path to replace the initial diesel fueled haul fleet with a zero-exhaust-emission fleet by 2029, which would help support the Provincial Government’s target to reduce GHG emissions by 40% by 2030.
An economic impact study completed by KPMG on the Blackwater Project in November 2020 anticipates the Project will create 457 direct full-time jobs per year over the operating life of the mine and with 825 direct full-time jobs per year created during the construction/expansion phases of mine development. Additionally, the mine is expected to contribute $13.2B to the provincial economy, over the life of the mine, including $2.3B to provincial revenues.
For further information please visit: https://www.artemisgoldinc.com/
