Grassy Mountain Coal Project

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Grassy Mountain Coal Project is a cancelled coal mine in Blairmore, Alberta, Canada.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Grassy Mountain Coal Project Blairmore, Alberta, Canada[1][2] 49.68924, -114.41896 (approximate)

The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:

Loading map...

Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status Status Detail Project Type Opening Year Closing Year
Cancelled[3] Pre-Permit[4] New[1]

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.
Capacity (Mtpa) Production (Mtpa) Year of Production Mine Type Mining Method Mine Size (km2) Mine Depth (m) Workforce Size
4[2] Surface[2] Open Pit[2] 15[1] 430[2] *[1]

Table 4: Coal resources and destination

Total Reserves (Mt) Year of Total Reserves Recorded Total Resources (Mt) Coalfield Coal Type Coal Grade Primary Consumer/ Destination
154[4] 195[4] Crowsnest[4] Bituminous Met[2]

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner Parent Company Headquarters
Northback Holdings[5] Hancock Corp [100.0%] Australia

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.

Background

The Grassy Mountain Coal Project is an open-pit mine project proposed by Northback Holdings (previously Benga Mining Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Riversdale Resources Limited) due to produce 4.5 million tonnes per annum, near Blairmore, Alberta, Canada.[6]

Northback Holdings (previously Benga Mining Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Riversdale Resources Limited) proposed to construct and operate Grassy Mountain Coal, an open-pit metallurgical coal mine near the Crowsnest Pass, approximately seven kilometres north of the community of Blairmore, in southwest Alberta. The production capacity of the project would have been a maximum of 4.5 million tonnes of clean coal per year, over a mine-life of about 25 years.[7] Commercial production for public consumption was targeted to start in Q1 2022.[8]

In June 2021, a review panel for the Alberta Energy Regulator denied the application for the project, stating it was not in the public interest. Benga Mining and Riversdale Resources planned to consult with legal counsel to review options moving forward, however, in August 2021, the Federal Government rejected the project as it was "likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects."[9][10]

In September 2023, Northback Holdings resurrected a proposal for the Grassy Mountain mine, applying for three licenses from the Alberta Energy Regulator which would allow them to divert water, drill, and run a coal exploration program.[11]

Although the long-controversial proposed coking coal mine had been on pause since the 2022 ban on coal exploration in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the lifting of this moratorium in January 2025 could mean it will be reconsidered.[12]

Also working in the project's favor is the fact that it has seen recent support from residents of Crowsnest Pass, who in late 2024, voted decisively in a non-binding vote in favor of the project.[13]

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20211128234424/http://www.rivresources.com/site/Projects/grassy-mountain-project2/overview3. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 (PDF) https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p80101/115590E.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20240220143958/https://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/524978/index.do. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 (PDF) https://www.ccoal.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ccoal_presentation-2023-05-31.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20240722231932/https://globalnews.ca/news/9983877/grassy-mountain-coal-mine-new-application/. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Riversdale Resources has rebranded as Northback", Crowsnest Pass Herald, 19 July 2023.
  7. Grassy Mountain Coal Project, Government of Canada, last updated September 2019.
  8. "Grassy Moutain Project overview", Riverdale resources website, Archived from the original on 28 November 2021, Accessed November 2023.
  9. https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/document/140985 Environmental Assessment Decision Statement], Government of Canada website, accessed June 2022.
  10. "Grassy Mountain Coal Project", Alberta Government website, accessed June 2022.
  11. Bob Weber, "Head of Alberta commission on Rocky Mountain coal mining concerned over new applications", Global News Canada, 25 September 2023.
  12. Dryden, Joel, "Alberta government lifts ban on coal exploration in Eastern Slopes", CBC News, 20 January 2025.
  13. Dryden, Joel, "Municipal district scraps Grassy Mountain appeal after provincial coal rule changes", CBC News, 5 February 2025.