Giuseppe Campanelli President of North and Central America METSO
What have been Metso’s recent milestones?
Innovation in sustainability and further developing our Planet Positive portfolio has been our main fiocus i.e. technologies that help our customers decarbonize and consume less energy. We also continue to have a strong focus on digitalization. Could you expand on Metso’s Planet Positive portfolio?
Metso has developed technologies that streamline the lithium extraction process, reducing the number of steps, and minimizing environmental concerns due to the inert nature of the residual by-products. By having a process that targets the lithium element – and nothing else – one considerably reduces environmental impacts.
Another Planet Positive example is Metso’s mill lining recycling capabilities. Without this recycling process, the mill liners would just go to landfill. We are also developing solutions for increasing energy efficiency as well as water-efficient technologies. What is Metso’s take on the potentially revolutionary role of AI for the industry?
We see AI as an enhancement of what we are doing already. Our customers need to understand how we use this technology to optimize our equipment and maximize their production. How important is Québec going to be in the decarbonization push in North America?
The projects in Québec are feeding the entire infrastructure not only in Canada but also in the USA. What will be the key factors driving growth for Metso in North America in the months to come?
We will continue to support our operating customers who are running mines and are looking to optimize their equipment. Meanwhile, we will also continue to support projects that are at different stages like copper brownfields or greenfield battery minerals projects. There are also a significant number of gold projects about to start in Western Canada.
Pietro Di Zanno Country Director – Canada HY2GEN CANADA INC.
Can you introduce Hy2gen and the firm’s presence in Canada?
We develop projects around green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, ammonia, and methanol. We came to Québec in 2018 because of the abundance of cheap electricity we require in hydrogen production. How does your partnership with EPC fit into your growth strategy in the mining space?
EPC sells explosives globally and sees a growing market in Québec. We developed a business plan to graft our Courant project—a large green ammonia project—to their need for green ammonium nitrate. Can you detail your Courant project in Baie-Comeau in Québec and its significance to the ecosystem?
IWe will produce green hydrogen and extract nitrogen from the air using the allocated green hydropower. Both will be used to make ammonia, which will be stored and piped to our partners within the Baie-Comeau industrial park. How have concerns over hydroelectricity shortages impacted your strategy?
We were chosen as one of the few projects to receive a power allocation, which allows us to move forward with our project without delays. What role do you see Québec playing in decarbonizing North America?
Québec is already a leader in decarbonization. Its further incremental progress now focuses on value chains, particularly in mobility and mining. Québec's supportive government makes it a lighthouse for green initiatives. What are your key priorities and strategies to become the largest provider of green hydrogen-based carriers in Canada?
Our immediate priorities are increasing our engineering capacities in Québec. We aim to start the front-end engineering design (FEED) by November this year. Within the next 18 months, we plan to secure permits and finalize the project design. Commissioning we’re aiming for by Q4 2029.