Deshnee Naidoo, who until March led Vale’s energy transition metals business, says Canadian miners need to get more competitive and productive to unlock the country’s rich mineral reserves.
“Canadian productivity is not great,” the former CEO of Base Metals (VBM) told MINING.COM’s Devan Murugan in an interview. “We are either struggling to make current operations perform better from a margin point of view — which is also the reason that perhaps capital projects don’t rank as high as they should.”
She added that’s “possibly the reason why mining projects, despite the natural endowment (in Canada) are not making it out of the starting blocks.”
Naidoo, a South African engineer with almost 30 years in the mining industry, praised Canada’s mineral resources, government support, and the deep-rooted legacy of mining, which she said reminds her of her home country.
However, she noted that government support across the mineral value chain has been uneven in Canada. While there have been substantial investments in areas such as electric vehicle production, similar support for mining projects is lacking, she said.
On her recent departure as CEO of VBM, Naidoo says her family was the catalyst for stepping down in March, as her role required extensive travel.
Over the next decade, VBM plans to invest US$25-30 billion in strategic mineral projects in Canada, Brazil and Indonesia. The aim is to nearly triple copper output to 900,000 tonnes a year and to almost double nickel production at the same time to 300,000 tonnes per year from 160,000-175,000 tonnes.
Naidoo also touched on the broader challenges facing the industry, including the need for better collaboration with communities and stakeholders, stressing that the sector’s success depends on building trust and ensuring that projects are resilient and sustainable.
Watch the interview here:
Be the first to comment on "Video: Canada’s miners need to step up productivity, former Vale exec Naidoo says"