Niobec is one of only three primary Niobium producers globally.
Niobium is a critical alloying agent used in the production of everyday essential products. Importantly, it is a key input for producing high-strength, low-alloy steel. Across sectors such as automotive, construction, and infrastructure, global OEMs depend on Niobium for its advantageous alloying properties, including increased strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion.
Where Niobium Is Used
Automobiles
The integration of $9 worth of niobium in an automobile reduces its weight by 100kg and increases its fuel efficiency by 5%.
Pipelines
Niobium is used to make pipelines stronger, safer, and longer lasting.
Construction
Niobium is used in construction steels to improve strength and durability while enabling dematerialization and enhanced sustainability.
Orthopaedics
Niobium and titanium alloys are used in a variety of implants, braces and fracture-reduction plates.
Batteries
Niobium oxides are currently being tested as a viable solution to dramatically reduce charging times in battery applications for electric vehicle and other industries.
Rockets and Satellites
Used in spacecraft. Notably, 60% of Apollo 11’s structure was made of niobium-bearing steel.
Available Products
Niobec Highlights
Based in Saint-Honoré in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Niobec has been in production since 1976. It is one of only three global producers of niobium, and the only producer located outside of Brazil. Located only 500km from Montreal and 200km from Quebec City, Niobec is supported by world-class infrastructure including readily available and 100% renewable electricity sources. Niobec is a vertically integrated manufacturing facility and produces a final product that is sold directly to steel producers worldwide.
Critical Product With No Substitutes
Niobium is a critical input necessary for the production of a variety of products; from rockets and satellites, to automobiles, pipelines, reactors, and more.
Performance and Sustainability
Small amounts of Niobium provide significant benefits; $9 of niobium in a vehicle reduces weight by more than 100kg. Crucially, Niobec operates with a low carbon footprint, utilizing renewable power, largely recycled water and with inert, non-acid generating tailings.
Health and Safety
Niobec deeply embodies its commitment to ensuring ‘Every Person Goes Home Safe And Healthy, Everyday’. Niobec’s strong safety culture has fostered continuous improvements in incident rates and overall safety performance, and we are committed to continuing to improve on this each and everyday
Niobec Leadership Team
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Patrick Chabot
General Manager
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Melanie Renschler
Managing Director Europe and Africa
Operations Overview
Niobec operates in Quebec, considered one of the leading jurisdictions in North America. Our operations are vertically integrated which allows for complete control over the product lifecycle. This also enables significant cost savings, quality control, and economies of scale.
Mining
Underground open-stope mining operation
Stopes are drilled, loaded with explosives and detonated
Blasted ore falls to the lowest level where it is gathered and transported to a crusher and then hoisted to surface
Milling
Processing plant converts ore into a niobium oxide concentrate
Milling process includes crushing, grinding, sorting, desliming, magnetic separation, flotation, leaching, filtering and drying of the concentrate
Converting
Converter transforms the niobium oxide concentrate into ferroniobium via an aluminothermic reaction on a batch basis
Ferroniobium is sold directly to steel producers worldwide
Certifications
Niobec holds key certifications in production, marketing, environmental, and regulatory.
Statements, Policies and Additional Information
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This code comes into effect and applies to everyone at Niobec: our board of directors, officers and employees, as of March 1, 2018. We also expect our contractors, suppliers, consultants, agents and others acting on Niobec’s behalf to know of and generally abide by this code. If you deal with such persons, then you should make sure that they meet this expectation.
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The role of the Niobec Monitoring Committee is to facilitate the exchange of company information in order to raise awareness of Niobec’s activities in the local community and to help the mining company better understand the community’s concerns and the potential impacts of its activities.
Please submit your questions, comments or concerns to the Monitoring Committee members or Niobec Inc. by using the following mail comite_de_suivi@niobec.com. We will ensure your submission is addressed by the correct individual. Should you question fall within the mandate of the Monitoring Committee, your request will be dealt with at the Committee’s next regular meeting.
If it is a request to Niobec, the company will follow up with you.
Statutes – Monitoring Committee2020 Annual Review Niobec Monitoring Committee
2021 Annual Review Niobec Monitoring Committee
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Niobec has designated the following person as responsible for the protection of personal information:
Marie-Elaine Legendre
Manager, HR and Communication
418-673-4694 ext 4234