Mine developer Canada Nickel Company has received final permitting approval from the Ontario government for its $1.9 billion Crawford nickel mining and carbon capture project, setting the stage for one of the world’s largest critical mineral developments.

The approval marks the first issued under Canada’s amended Impact Assessment Act, an updated regulatory framework designed to fast-track high-quality extractive projects while enforcing strict environmental oversight.

Located in Ontario’s Timmins mining district, the Crawford Project is estimated to contain 3.8 million tons of nickel alongside significant chromium byproduct reserves.

Beyond providing a major Western alternative to Indonesia, which currently controls roughly 67% of global nickel production, the facility aims to set a new benchmark for low-carbon critical mineral extraction.

Proprietary Technology Turns Mine Tailings Into Geological CO2 Storage

A core component of the project’s design is Canada Nickel’s proprietary In-Process Tailings (IPT) Carbonization technology.

By injecting concentrated CO2 into milled stone tailings while still inside the processing circuit, the company fixes carbon geologically within hours rather than relying on passive weathering.

The process is projected to store 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year during operation – the equivalent of taking 350,000 gas-powered cars off the road annually.

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Across the project’s projected 41-year mine life, total carbon storage potential across the site’s vast tailings capacity could eventually reach up to 15 million tons per year.

The company expects project economics to benefit from carbon credit sales alongside government tax credits that offset up to 50% of carbon storage capital expenditures.

Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby framed the permit approval as a pivotal step toward expanding Western critical mineral supply chains responsibly.

“Today’s decision recognizes the strategic importance of responsibly developing Canada’s critical mineral resources in partnership with all levels of government and Indigenous Nations,” Selby said. “We look forward to continuing to advance Crawford towards a construction decision in 2027.”

Read more: Canada Nickel Secures $3.4M To Advance Groundbreaking Carbon Storage Technology