TIMMINS, ONT. – Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford Nickel Project is being accelerated by the Province of Ontario under the new ‘One Project, One Process’ (1P1P) framework that was launched in October.
It’s the second project to move forward under this initiative. The first was the Frontier Lithium’s PAK project near Red Lake.
According to a release, this designation will help unlock the world’s second largest nickel reserves in the resource-rich Timmins Nickel District, in addition to developing a nickel processing plant for stainless steel and electric vehicle markets; and planning to construct a stainless steel and alloy production facility. The project is expected to attract a total of $5 billion in investment.
Located 42 kilometres north of Timmins, Crawford is one of the world’s largest nickel resources with a mineral reserve estimate of 1,715 million tonnes.
The project will create up to 2,000 job during construction, and once complete, it will be one of the largest mine and mill facilities in North America with an expected mine life of 41 years that will support up to 1,300 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, the release notes.
If constructed as fully proposed, this project will include:
- A single large open pit mine with two access zones
- Two ore processing plants
- Mining and processing infrastructure
- Realignment of approximately 25 kilometres of Highway 655
- The relocation of an existing 500-kilovolt transmission line
- Two new electricity substations with an estimated demand and operating load of 230 kilovolts and 34.5 kilovolts.
“Ontario’s ‘One Project, One Process’ framework reflects a clear commitment to getting important projects done the right way – that means clear accountability, strong co-ordination across government, and a high standard of environmental and Indigenous engagement,” said Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel Company, in a statement.
This news from the province comes after the federal government named Crawford among its second batch of projects to be fast-tracked as part of his nation-building plans.
“As the only mining project in Canada to date to secure this type of endorsement from both federal and provincial governments, the province recognizes the scale, strategic importance and advanced stage of the Crawford Nickel Project and the strong collaboration with the province,” Selby added.
“Crawford is a key part of Ontario’s emerging Critical Minerals Corridor in northeastern Ontario, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the province to unlock the financing and permitting necessary to break ground and begin construction on the project by the end of this year.”
Through 1P1P, the Ministry of Energy and Mines acts as a single point of contact to co-ordinate all necessary provincial approvals and Indigenous consultation to reduce government review time by 50 per cent, the release states.
The Crown’s duty to consult obligation remains fully upheld under 1P1P.
The Crawford Project will produce high-quality, low-carbon nickel essential for batteries and green steel, with projected emissions 90 percent below the global average.
