Vale ramping up Long Harbour work

Mining giant Vale is preparing to hire hundreds of more workers to finish a gigantic nickel processing plant in southern Newfoundland.

Vale, known in Canada as Vale Inco until last month, will process concentrate from the Voisey's Bay mine in northern Labrador at Long Harbour, on Newfoundland's Placentia Bay.

The plant is scheduled to be up and running in 2013, producing nickel rounds from the ore mined in Labrador. More than 2,000 workers will be needed for the massive project before it's finished.

Project Director Ronaldo Stefan said just 10 per cent of the work has been completed so far, although what has been accomplished covers a fairly vast area.

"If we were to overlay the footprint of the process plant over downtown St. John's, it would probably take us from the Sheraton hotel, past the courthouse, getting fairly close to City Hall," he said.

The nickel project also means new infrastructure for the town. Last week a brand-new fire hall, paid for by Vale, opened.

Long Harbour Mayor Gary Keating welcomed the changes.

"We're hoping that we will have more employment for the people here," he told CBC News. "At the end of the day, we're confident we'll do quite well."