Coal a constant competitor on energy team. (Industrial Minerals).

Modern society's constant need for electricity demands a trustworthy and affordable source of energy. Nowhere is this requirement for reliability more appreciated than in Saskatchewan's industrial minerals sector.

Coal is the largest portion of the province s industrial or non-metallic mineral industry, a sector also including minerals such as salt and sodium sulphate. Coal mined by the member companies of the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA) is an essential component in the electricity array powering Saskatchewan homes and businesses.

While coal is neither as inexpensive as hydroelectricity nor as flexible as power generated by natural gas, the familiar and abundant mineral meets the electric industry's need for stability and economy. As SMA Industrial Minerals Section Chairman Bruce Lambert explains, coal is an important energy source because it is dependable, affordable and available in abundance in this province.

"The power business tends to be pretty stable and in Saskatchewan it uses coal as its base," Lambert says. "Natural gas takes on the peaks while hydroelectric power is used whenever possible, depending on the amount of water flowing through the province's river system'

Lambert, who works as Poplar River mine General Manager for Luscar Ltd., expects demand for coal will remain fairly constant. With SaskPower as its primary customer the coal industry has a built-in market it knows and trusts.

"I think we have a very good working relationship between the two parties and we communicate well throughout all levels of our operations' Lambert says. "Our contracts tend to be long-term and stable, giving us a consistent buyer and allowing the customer surety of supply'

SaskPower operates three coal-fired power stations in the coal-rich southeast region of the province: Boundary Dam and Shand near Estevan and Poplar River near Coronach. All three demand a steady flow of coal to feed their steam turbines.

Boundary Dam is the largest of the three and the largest lignite coal-burning power station in Canada. Shand is the newest and most efficient generating station in Canada. The Poplar River Generating Station was built to be in close proximity to the area's lignite coal seams that are about three metres thick and 12-40 metres beneath the surface.

Saskatchewan coal is also shipped to Ontario and export markets for power generation. A coal carbonization plant, where the coal is heated in an oxygen reduced atmosphere to create barbecue briquettes, has been in operation near Bienfait since 1915.

The SMA acknowledges there are challenges ahead for companies which depend on coal mining, chief among those concerns being the pending Kyoto Accord. The sector is looking at ways to secure a future for coal-fired electricity generation.

"We actively participate as industry partners in researching clean coal technologies to improve the efficiency of coal use," Lambert says. "People will still need abundant sources of affordable power. Coal will continue to be an important fuel for the future."

The coal industry has an impressive reputation as a temporary user of land. More than 1,200 hectares of land was released at the Poplar River mine site in 2000 after 20 years of operations.

"Most of it was returned back to pasture land because there is a need in this area for good hay land;' Lambert says, noting wetlands are created in areas where they'll be reasonably permanent.

"We return the land to a state as good or better than it was before we mined it. The process of reclamation takes time and requires some favourable growing conditions. It has become a bit of an art form for us'

Also in the industrial minerals sector, high energy costs were cited in the 2001 shutdown of the sodium sulphate facility in Ingebrigt. Saskatchewan Minerals, owned by Goldcorp Inc., continues to operate a highly successful facility at Chaplin Lake.

Saskatchewan Minerals has more than 80 domestic and international customers for its high-quality natural sodium sulphate. A minimum 99 per cent purity standard is maintained for the sodium sulphate produced at Chaplin Lake, used in detergents, pulp and paper, glass, textile, starch, carpet deodorizers and livestock mineral feed.

The Saskatchewan mining sector also celebrated a first in 2001. The John T. Ryan award for best national safety performance in a coal mine was awarded to the Poplar River mine by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. To win this award, Poplar River achieved a zero accident rating for the period.

"We have a dedicated group of employees who are well-trained and experienced," Lambert says. "All the mines are showing good, positive performance. We're all heading in the right direction."