The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has announced that Brazil-based miner Vale has committed to expanding the Voisey's Bay open pit nickel mine in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador to include underground mining. The company will also extend the mine life of the Voisey's Bay mine to 2035, creating more jobs.
Vale announced a delay in the construction of a processing plant in Long Harbour, Newfoundland which was originally scheduled to commence operation in 2013; however, the plant will not be ready to process all of the nickel concentrate from Voisey's Bay until 2015. The provincial government will provide Vale with an additional exemption from primary processing requirements between 2013 and 2015 so that the Voisey's Bay mine can maintain continued operation while construction of the processing plant in Long Harbour is completed.