Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. PGDIF

Somebody say blimps? "No Roads, No Problem" - FP article

[mrrbc]

https://business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/no-roads-no-problem-how-blimps-could-help-northern-quebecs-miners-overcome-their-infrastructure-woes No roads, no problem: How blimps could help northern Quebecs miners overcome their infrastructure woes Republish Reprint Kristine Owram | November 21, 2016 8:51 AM ET More from Kristine Owram | @KristineOwram Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airship parked on snow. Who needs roads or railways when you have blimps? A small Montreal-based mining exploration company called Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. thinks it may have found a solution to the lack of transportation infrastructure in Canadas North: a blimp-like hybrid airship made by Lockheed Martin Corp. that can land virtually anywhere for a fraction of the cost of a regular airplane. Quest plans to use a fleet of seven Lockheed airships to transport supplies and personnel to its Strange Lake mine on the boundary between Quebec and Labrador, 1,100 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. Once the mine is up and running, it will also use the helium-filled airships to transport ore out of the mine as far as the town of Schefferville, Que., where it can be loaded onto railcars. Residents of northern Quebec shouldnt expect to see the hybrid airships, which resemble a giant piece of meringue, floating overhead anytime soon. Lockheed Martin is forecasting they will receive certification from Transport Canada near the end of 2018, and first commercial deliveries will begin in 2019. This jibes well with Quests schedule the company plans to ship its first rare-earth minerals, used in everything from smartphones to MRI machines, in 2019. Once certification is complete, Hybrid Enterprises LLC, Lockheeds exclusive reseller, will deliver the $40-million airships to U.K.-based Straightline Aviation Ltd., which will then operate them on Quests behalf in an $850-million deal. This a defining contract which demonstrates how this unique aircraft can unlock the economic potential of the remote regions of the world and in particular Northern Canada without the environmental impact of traditional transport options such as road, rail and airports, Mark Dorey, chief operating officer of Straightline Aviation, said at a press conference in Ottawa last week. Grant Cool, chief operating officer of Hybrid Enterprises, said the Canadian North is the perfect fit for the airships, which can land on gravel, water or ice using hovercraft technology without needing a runway or other infrastructure. I believe this hybrid technology will change Canadas North by giving us reliable year-round transportation, to bring global access to the people who live there and finally connect it to the rest of Canada, said Cool, who grew up in the North. This deal will find a better way to manage the growth of our resource and energy industries without significantly impacting our environment. After all, our motto is, No roads, no problem. The first version of the airship will be 300 feet (91 metres) long and able to transport up to 20 tons of cargo and 19 passengers, but Cool said later versions could carry up to 50 tons. Using a combination of helium and aerodynamics, the airships will burn less than one-tenth the fuel of a helicopter per ton and cost approximately one-quarter of what it takes to operate a fixed-wing cargo aircraft. The lack of transportation infrastructure in Canadas North has long been considered a hindrance to development of the regions economy. Recognizing this, the Ontario and Quebec governments have committed nearly $3 billion between them to develop infrastructure with the goal of encouraging investment from resource companies. But both provinces plans the Ring of Fire and Plan Nord, respectively have run up against difficulties, including high costs, logistical challenges and First Nations opposition. Quest chairman Pierre Lortie said the airships will not only help his company develop its Strange Lake mine without waiting for road or rail infrastructure to be built, but will also be better for the environment. We avoid having to build an intrusive land-based infrastructure, either across Labrador or Quebec, and therefore in essence contribute to sustainable development, Lortie said. Both Hybrid Enterprises and Straightline Aviation have had discussions with other potential customers, including First Nations groups. This technology is going to be quite new to most people so its going to take a bit of a leap but certainly as we get more airships flying, there are incredible opportunities for First Nations, Cool said.

[ekim]

Concentrate scrub the DO-27 ore and if you use a blimp system..the material could easily go to the Ekati Mill, the Diavik mill or the snap lake mill. Maybe even NAR could use it to scrub and send those fancy yellow's to one of the 3 mills above too. Heck, maybe it is a solution for KDI's Kelvin material and blimp it to the one of the same 3 mills. So, in reality..you just have to figure

[mrrbc]

Probably have to factor in some pretty steep liability insurance too. Hey, it's raining kimberlite! MrRBC

[griefman]

I'm not saying anything on blimps...

[cudjo]

only if not windy, windy and friggen cold

[mill44]

People have to realize already that the cost of the project is not the issue. It is good enough even using conventional methods. I am not saying that one should not look at cutting costs wherever it is possible, but that our fate does not depend on that.