Commodities
Home›Commodities›Mining›Explosives shortages could disrupt Canadian mine produ…
Explosives shortages could disrupt Canadian mine production
EPC Canada CEO Olivier Vandenabelle said Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine forced the supplier to stop importing Russian ammonium nitrate and shift to US sourcing via rail.
Canadian miners are underestimating the risk that explosives shortages could disrupt production, Mining.com reports, citing trade tensions and geopolitical instability that weaken critical supply chains.
Olivier Vandenabelle, president and CEO of EPC Canada, said the industry’s reliance on a limited number of chemical producers and transportation routes leaves mine output exposed if deliveries tighten.
He pointed to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a key turning point, saying Russia had been the world’s largest exporter of ammonium nitrate, a key raw material for commercial explosives.
According to Mining.com, after the conflict EPC Canada abandoned Russian ammonium nitrate imports and switched to US suppliers, using rail transportation to maintain deliveries.