Canada Nickel, GeoRedox launch first-of-its-kind hydrogen initiative at Crawford

Canada Nickel Company (TSXV: CNC) has partnered with GeoRedox Corporation to develop the world’s first stimulated geologic hydrogen well on the site of the company’s Crawford nickel project near Timmins, Ontario.

In January, the Ontario government named the polymetallic project as the second to be advanced under its One Project, One Process framework for fast-tracked permitting.

The project will test GeoRedox’s proprietary technology for producing zero-carbon hydrogen from ultramafic rock formations — the same geology that underlies Canada Nickel’s projects in the Timmins district — and represents a foundational step toward a zero-carbon industrial cluster in Northeast Ontario, the companies said.

“The ultramafic rock that hosts our Crawford deposit and 20-plus projects across the Timmins nickel district is precisely the geology GeoRedox’s technology is designed for,” Canada Nickel CEO Mark Selby said in a news release.

“This partnership brings us a significant step closer to a zero-carbon industrial cluster in Northeast Ontario — one that converts our concentrates into finished critical mineral products including nickel, chromium and cobalt, while leveraging the region’s significant carbon storage capacity,” Selbey added.

GeoRedox will fund the demonstration program in full, while Canada Nickel will contribute site access, rock samples, technical expertise, data and other resources necessary for project planning and implementation.

The demonstration is the first phase of a program that, if successful, has the potential to provide a large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen supply for a zero-carbon industrial cluster in the Timmins nickel district.

Once constructed and in operation, Crawford is expected to rank among the Western world’s largest nickel sulphide projects and among the world’s lowest-carbon nickel operations, Canada Nickel said.