ArcelorMittal and BioÉnergie AE Côte-Nord Canada announce a major agreement for the Côte-Nord economy and the beginning of the energy transition at the Port-Cartier pellet plant

Port-Cartier, May 11, 2022 – At a press conference today, ArcelorMittal Mining Canada (“ArcelorMittal”) and BioÉnergie AE Côte-Nord Canada (“BioÉnergie”), a corporation held in part by Groupe Rémabec/Arbec Forest Products Inc. announced the signing of a three-year agreement for the delivery of 16 million litres of pyrolytic oil per year to the ArcelorMittal pellet plant.

“Today’s announcement marks the materialization of the start of our energy transition. The pyrolytic oil produced locally by BioÉnergie will allow us ultimately to reduce our use of heavy oil by 23% at our Port-Cartier plant. This is a structuring project that unites the two major resources of the Côte-Nord region: iron and the forest. This is tremendous news for the entire region and we are delighted,” declared Mapi Mobwano, President and Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal Mining Canada.

The introduction of pyrolytic oil, a renewable fuel produced from wood residues, will allow an annual reduction of 57,600 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent at the Port-Cartier pellet plant, which corresponds to removing 14,000 vehicles from the roads each year. Let us recall that the ArcelorMittal Group has made the commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

“We are proud of this partnership with ArcelorMittal that allows us to create 30 quality jobs in the Côte-Nord region, at BioÉnergie alone. Our group constantly looks for new ways to valorize forest fibre and sawmill by-products sustainably. With ArcelorMittal, we wish to stand out by local production of a renewable energy source that contributes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The entire community wins,” explained Réjean Paré, President and Chief Operating Officer of Groupe Rémabec.

To produce its pyrolytic oil, BioÉnergie will use the wood residues of Arbec Lumber, another affiliate of Groupe Rémabec. The agreement announced today also includes the use of ArcelorMittal’s railway by Arbec, based on 80 trains per year to transport wood from its forest camps to its Port-Cartier sawmill.

About ArcelorMittal Infrastructure Canada G.P.
and ArcelorMittal Mining Canada G.P.

Subsidiaries of ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company and among the top five producers of iron ore products globally, ArcelorMittal Infrastructure Canada G.P. (“AMIC”) and ArcelorMittal Mining Canada G.P. (“AMMC”) are two complementary entities operating on Quebec’s North Shore. AMIC ensures the transport of concentrate between Mont-Wright and Port-Cartier, and operates a seaport in Port-Cartier to transport and ship AMMC’s products to four continents. AMMC produces iron oxide concentrate and pellets for the steel market. The two companies employ approximately 2,500 people, making ArcelorMittal the largest employer in the North Shore region.

About BioÉnergie AE Côte-Nord Canada and
Groupe Rémabec/Arbec Forest Products Inc.

Located in Port-Cartier, Bioénergie AE Côte-Nord Canada is a plant intended for production of renewable liquid fuels made from residual forest biomass. Groupe Rémabec is the biggest private forest contractor in Québec and one of the province’s leading sawmills, ensuring direct quality jobs for nearly 2000 people. Groupe Rémabec operates 50 subsidiaries and 11 plants in the Mauricie, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Côte-Nord and Capitale-Nationale regions and in Montréal. Arbec Forest Products Inc. owns two oriented strand board production plants in Mauricie and New Brunswick and employs nearly 300 people.