Canada Nickel Company is promoting its Crawford Project – a nickel mine in Timmins, Ontario – as one of the largest carbon capture and storage facilities in the country. The company claims that the mine, which is an ultramafic deposit, has the potential to capture and sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) through a process it calls In-Process Tailings (IPT) Carbonation. This involves injecting a concentrated amount of CO2 into the rock to speed up the natural geochemical reaction that occurs when the tailings and waste rock are exposed to air.
Who
Canada Nickel Company is a junior miner based in Toronto that has been developing the Crawford Project for several decades. The company’s target customers are electric vehicle battery manufacturers, and it is seeking to secure direct deals with several of these manufacturers, particularly from South Korea, to finance the construction of the mine.
Why it matters
The Crawford Project has the potential to be a transformative mine of the future with a net-zero carbon footprint. As the world pushes for a low-carbon future, producing a net-zero nickel along with cobalt, iron and chromium byproducts could add significant value for Canada Nickel’s future customers. Additionally, the project’s ability to capture and sequester large amounts of CO2 could help mitigate the environmental impact of mining and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change. The company is also planning to apply for federal green tax credits in order to secure funding for the development of the mine and possibly a bigger “zero carbon industrial cluster” in Cochrane District. 
