Small but Smart
Unlike the massive open pits of China, Nechalacho (the Tardiff zone) started as a small-scale demonstration of precision mining. It uses “Sensor-Based Ore Sorting” (x-ray sensors that blast individual rocks with air) to upgrade the ore without using water or chemicals on site.
Strategic Value
It proves that smaller, lower-impact mining operations are possible in the Arctic. The concentrate is shipped to Saskatoon and then to Norway/Germany, creating a completely non-Chinese supply chain for automakers.