Investments in enabling and supporting infrastructure needed to unlock critical minerals mining operations and exploration.
The CIB’s Critical Minerals investments will facilitate the construction of enabling and supporting infrastructure like access roads, clean power generation and transmission and wastewater management facilities in remote areas of Canada. Investments can unlock critical mineral development and support economic development while addressing risks which impact the ability of mining companies to raise sufficient pre-mine construction financing.
To be considered, projects must:
- Be located in Canada
- Involve at least one of the 31 critical minerals on Canada’s Critical Minerals List
- Be categorized as a “Single Project” (e.g. a lithium mine or graphite processing plant that would be used by a single developer) or a “Shared Infrastructure Project” (e.g. an access road or transmission line to a region with significant mineral resource potential that could be used by multiple parties including mining companies and potentially Indigenous communities)
- Include enabling or supporting infrastructure, like power transmission lines and substations, access roads, water/wastewater infrastructure or broadband, with a value of at least $100 million, unless the project is owned by an Indigenous community, where the value must be at least $5 million
- Eligible costs for the investment must not exceed 50% of the public funding
Global demand for critical minerals, the building blocks of the digital economy, represents an important economic opportunity for Canada.
Since the launch of our critical minerals initiative three years ago, the CIB has gained valuable perspective into the barriers and risks that can hinder project development.
Our new report, From critical to commercial, summarizes insights we’ve heard from the market and makes recommendations on policy and financing tools to help unlock new mining projects.
The CIB supports critical minerals projects across the entire supply chain. We can partner with owners, developers and investors to deliver innovative financing solutions that accelerate and make projects commercially viable.