Two nickel processing plants to be built in northern Ontario

Canada Nickel is making a major investment in Timmins. On Thursday, officials said they're planning to build two processing plants in the city.

One will take in nickel from its various properties in the area.

"We expect it to be the largest nickel processing plant in North America," said Mark Selby, chief executive officer of Canada Nickel.

"In addition, we're going to build a stainless steel and alloy plant right here in the Timmins region, which would be the largest facility of its kind in Canada."

Selby said feasibility studies should be completed by year-end, with the nickel processing plant expected to begin production by 2027.

"We think the number of deposits we have in the region, each of which have the capacity to store CO2 really positions the area as ... having the potential to be a true zero-carbon industrial cluster," he said.

"You’d be very hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world that has that unique combination we can find right here in Timmins."

Ontario Minister of Mines and Timmins MPP George Pirie said the province unveiled a critical minerals strategy two years ago, including an innovation fund.

"Canada Nickel had applied for funding ... to do the research and the research was applied on carbon sequestration and they were awarded … $500,000 to conduct that research," said Pirie.

Taykwa Tagamou Nation Chief Bruce Archibald said he is proud to see Canada Nickel grow and said his relationship with the company has been based on mutual respect.

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"I think of mining companies or any kind of industry, you know, that are going to develop any kind of projects ... the best thing to do is to go to the communities at the early stages and make sure ... that they're engaged from the beginning," Archibald said.

Officials said Timmins is now poised to become a hub for the clean nickel needed to build the supply chain for electric vehicles.