Generation Mining secures final construction permit for Marathon Project

Generation Mining has been granted its final construction permit for the landmark Marathon Project from the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario. The latest news is a promising sign of progress on the copper–palladium project, which aims to build critical mineral resilience in the country, and is one of the few undeveloped palladium deposits in North America.

The Ontarian government department, responsible for managing minerals and other natural resources in Canada’s southernmost province, has given the project all three outstanding approvals for infrastructure building under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act (LRIA). The approvals concern the water management structures at the copper–palladium project, and mark a significant step forward as Generation Mining looks ahead to the commencement of development.

The Marathon Project is located in Northwestern Ontario, along the Trans-Canada Highway on the north-eastern shore of Lake Superior, approximately 10km north of the town of Marathon. The project will involve the construction, operation, decommissioning and remediation of three open pits, in which the copper concentrate to be produced consists primarily of copper, palladium and platinum. The development will also provide for the construction of an on-site ore processing facility, a transmission line and access road, warehousing, a water management system and other associated infrastructure.

The project is expected to contribute to the stable supply of several key metals over its 13-year mine life, including palladium, copper and platinum. Feasibility study results indicate strong early-stage output potential for copper and precious metals, with optimization planned throughout the mine’s operational phase. Ore processing is expected to begin at designed capacity, with incremental increases planned as infrastructure upgrades are implemented.

Exploration for copper and nickel deposits in the wider area began in the 1920s and continued through to the 1940s, when several titaniferous magnetite and disseminated chalcopyrite occurrences were identified. The Marathon Project began life around four decades ago, with several phases of exploration and economic evaluation carried out in that period, from geophysical surveys, prospecting and trenching to a diamond drilling programme and metallurgical studies.

Generation Mining filed its environmental impact statement (EIS) to a Joint Review Panel (JRP) in early 2021, with public hearings taking place from March to May the following year. The go ahead was then given following a decision by Environment and Climate Change Canada, a nationwide government department, and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks of Ontario. Federal funding for the infrastructure was secured via Canada’s Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) in late 2024, pending final due diligence. Since the awarding of the final construction permits, Generation Mining has filed a technical report, which also included an update to the feasibility study results.

Generation Mining now requires just one outstanding approval from the Government of Ontario in order to proceed with the project. Once an Environmental Compliance Approval – Industrial Sewage Works (ECA-ISW) permission has been received from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, construction is set to get underway. According to the company’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Jamie Levy, “we are closer than ever to being fully permitted and ready for construction,” adding that “we remain committed to working closely with all regulatory bodies to ensure the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility in the construction and operation of the Marathon Project.”

Generation Mining is a Canadian mining company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE:GENM). It is the 100% owner of the Marathon Project, with Sibanye-Stillwater possessing an effective attributable share of 13.9% via its equity interest in Generation Mining.

Source: https://www.tipranks.com/news/company-announcements/generation-mining-secures-final-construction-permit-for-marathon-project, https://genmining.com/projects/location/