Canada Nickel Announces Improvements to Accelerated CO2 Capture Process
Canada Nickel Announces Improvements
to Accelerated CO2 Capture Process
Highlights
• Recent test work accelerates carbon capture by three times and achieves majority of carbon
capture in just 24 hours
• Simple carbon capture approach could allow production of Net Zero Nickel and generation of 21
tonnes of CO2 credits per tonne of nickel
• Crawford Project could produce an estimated average of 710,000 tonnes of CO2 credits annually
and 18 million total tonnes of CO2 credits over expected life of mine
TORONTO, November 8, 2022 – Canada Nickel Company Inc. ("Canada Nickel" or the "Company")
(TSXV:CNC) (OTCQX:CNIKF) today announced the results of further laboratory test results that build on
the success of initial work on the In Process Tailings (“IPT”) Carbonation Process, which is a novel method
for accelerated carbon capture that the Company believes has transformative potential.
Mark Selby, Chair and CEO of Canada Nickel commented, “ These la b scale tests advance our
understanding of how to operationalize this process to turn a nickel mine into a net generator of carbon
credits rather than a generator of carbon emissions . In our latest testing, we were able to triple the
amount of carbon captured in 24 hours versus our prior test work. Our goal is to develop a process which
would utilize existing plant equipment and processes to operationalize our IPT Carbonation process, which
is at least 8-12 times faster than current passive approaches and what industry leaders are currently able
to achieve, with easier quantification and verification of the amount of carbon captured.”
Figure 1. Improved CO2 Capture using new process levers
Baseline 8.6 T CO2 / T Ni
after 24 hrs
33 T CO2 / T Ni
after 24 hrs 28 T CO2 / T Ni
after 24 hrs
51 T CO2 / T Ni
after 6 days
Baseline Test New Test 1
Process Lever 1
New Test 2
Process Lever 2
3X Faster
Capture
65% of max
55% of max
This new set of results from the lab scale test program completed at Kingston Process Metallurgy (“KPM”),
utilizing the most reactive tailings stream, demonstrate s that changes to two key levers increased the
amount of carbon capture in just 24 hours relative to the previous tests by more than three times, and
achieved more than 60% of the previously achieved carbon capture level that had taken six days.
Understanding the impact of these variables on the carbon capture potential is believed to be key to
operationalizing the process.
IPT Carbonation process
Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project is hosted in ultramafic rock, which naturally absorbs and sequesters CO2.
The potential to actively capture and sequester carbon was a key considerat ion in Canada Nickel’s
acquisition of the 4 2 km2 of target ultramafic rocks in Timmins area which could anchor a zero -carbon
industrial cluster in Timmins. The challenge has been to develop a process that speeds up the naturally
occurring carbon absorption process. Canada Nickel has developed a simple active process that utilizes
tailings as generated in the milling process and injects a concentrated source of CO2 for a brief period of
time. This novel process for accelerated mineral carbonation is called In Process Tailings Carbonation or
IPT Carbonation, which fixes CO2 geologically while the tailings are still in the processing circuit, rather
than after they have been finally deposited.
While Canada Nickel’s IPT Carbonation process has only been demonstrated at the lab scale and on a
limited number of samples, the Company believes that, given its relative simplicity, this process could be
scaled up with availability of concentrated (rather than atmospheric) so urces of CO2. This CO2 could
potentially be delivered by downstream processing of Crawford concentrates, a wide range of industrial
processing activities, green hydrogen production, carbon capture facilities, or natural gas power
generation. The process clearly demonstrates the potential to produce NetZero Nickel TM and NetZero
CobaltTM for the EV industry, NetZero IronTM and chromium for the stainless steel industry and generate
substantial carbon credits during the process . The Company believes that the need for a concentrated
source of CO2 for this process and the substantial CO2 capture capacity potential of its ultramafic land
position could form the basis for an entire zero carbon industrial cluster in the Timmins region.
The IPT Carbonation process utilizes tailings directly from the mineral processing circuit and conditions
them with CO2 for a brief period of time. After this conditioning, the tailings achieved the Net Zero carbon
capture target in less than 36 hours and achieved gross carbon capture rates of at least 26 tonnes of CO2
/ tonne of nickel (5 times the amount necessary to achieve Net Zero metal production) in just six days and
could produce an estimated average of 710,000 tonnes of CO2 credits annually and 18 million total tonnes
of CO2 credits over expected life of mine based on the Crawford preliminary economic assessment ("PEA")
(see news release dated May 25, 2021). The experimental method and results for IPT Carbonation were
initially completed at XPS, Expert Process Solutions, a Glencore Company , and the mechanism was then
reproduced at a second independent lab, Kingston Process Metallurgy, adding confidence to the process.
No further information is being provided on the method at this time and work is underway to test a wide
range of variables to optimize the process.
IPT Carbonation , which is an active process, has benefits ove r passive mineral carbon capture as the
method for quantifying and verifying CO2 capture is expected to be much simpler. Using a standard carbon
balance in the mineral processing facility, the CO2 captured from IPT Carbonation can be quantified before
tailings are discharged into the permanent tailings storage facility such that carbon offsets can be
quantified in real time as part of a standard metallurgical accounting system. Canada Nickel expects
industry standards to be developed for quantifying CO2 capture through passive methods as well.
Qualified Person and Data Verification
Arthur G. Stokreef, P.Eng (ON), Manager of Process Engineering & Geometallurgy and a “qualified person”
as such term is defined by National Instrument 43 -101, has reviewed and approved the technical
information in this news release on behalf of Canada Nickel Company Inc.
About Canada Nickel
Canada Nickel Company Inc. is advancing the next generation of nickel-sulphide projects to deliver nickel
required to feed the high growth electric vehicle and stainless steel markets. Canada Nickel Company has
applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero Nickel™, NetZero Cobalt™ and NetZero
Iron™ and is pursuing the development of processes to allow the production of net zero carbon nickel,
cobalt, and iron products. Canada Nickel provides investors with leverage to nickel in low politi cal risk
jurisdictions. Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel -Cobalt
Sulphide Project in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp. For more information, please
visit www.canadanickel.com.
For further information, please contact:
Mark Selby, Chair and CEO
Phone: 647-256-1954
Email: [email protected]
Cautionary Note and Statement Concerning Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under
applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, the
carbon capture approach could allow pro duction of Net Zero nickel and generation of an additional
tonnes of CO 2 credits per tonne of nickel produced after offsetting all emissions, the potential to turn
nickel mine into a generator of carbon credits rather than generator of carbon emissions, the production
of estimated average of 710,000 tonnes of carbon credits a nnually and 18 million total tonnes of CO 2 of
credits over expected life of mine at Crawford, the ability to monetize carbon credits, the ability to
quantify carbon capture, emission estimates, the brucite content of the deposit, the scalability of the
process, the metallurgical results, the timing and results of the feasibility study, the results of Crawford’s
PEA, including statements relating to net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost,
proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates
of capital and operating costs, timing for permitting and environmental assessments, realization of
mineral resource estimates, capital and operating cost estimates, project and life of mine estimate s,
ability to obtain permitting by the time targeted, size and ranking of project upon achieving production,
economic return estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production and capital, operating
and exploration expenditures and potential u pside and alternatives. Readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may
cause the actual results, performance or achievements of C anada Nickel to be materially different from
any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
The PEA results are estimates only and are based on a number of assumptions, any of which, if incorrect,
could materially change the projected outcome. There are no assurances that Crawford will be placed into
production. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: the actual results of
development activities; project delays; inability to raise the funds necessary to complete development;
general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future prices of metals or
project costs could differ substantially and make any commercialization uneconomic; availability of
alternative nickel sources or substitutes; actual nickel recovery; conclusions of economic evaluations;
changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents, labour disputes, the availability
and productivity of skilled labour and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism,
insurrection or war; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, necessary permitting or in the
completion of development or construction activities; mineral resource estimates relating to Crawford
could prove to be inaccurate for any reason whatsoever; additional but currently unforeseen work may
be required to advance to the feasibility stage; and even if Crawford goes into production, there is no
assurance that operations will be profitable.
Although Canada Nickel has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions,
events or results to differ materially from those described in forward -looking statements, there may be
other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.
Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Canada
Nickel disclaims any obligation to update any forward -looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.