Canada Nickel Powers Up Crawford Mine with Key Hydro One, Indigenous Pact

TIMMINS, ON – March 09, 2026 – Canada Nickel Company has taken a pivotal step in developing one of the world's largest planned nickel mines, signing key agreements with Ontario's primary grid operator, Hydro One. The deal initiates the engineering work required to connect the massive Crawford Nickel Project to the provincial power grid, a critical milestone that de-risks the project and advances its ambitious timeline.

The agreements enable Hydro One to begin detailed engineering and design for the power connection at its Porcupine Station, located near Timmins. This work includes the procurement of long-lead equipment, such as a 230-kilovolt circuit breaker, essential for integrating the future mine into the high-voltage network. This move lays the electrical foundation for a project poised to become a cornerstone of Canada's critical minerals strategy.

"Today's announcement with Hydro One represents an important step in advancing the Crawford Nickel Project," said Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel Company, in a statement. He emphasized that the collaboration is laying the groundwork for reliable power and continued progress. The project's advancement comes as global demand for sustainably sourced nickel, a key component in electric vehicle (EV) batteries and stainless steel, continues to surge.

A New Model for Indigenous Partnership

Beyond the technical significance, the power agreement highlights a progressive and increasingly vital aspect of modern resource development: deep Indigenous partnership. While Hydro One will engineer the connection point, the transmission line itself—the physical link between the Porcupine Station and the Crawford mine site 42 kilometers to the north—is set to be built and owned by the Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN).

This arrangement elevates TTN from a stakeholder to a central economic partner. Under a previously announced memorandum of understanding, Canada Nickel will lease the transmission infrastructure from TTN over the mine's life, creating a long-term, stable revenue stream for the First Nation. This model of Indigenous ownership of critical infrastructure represents a significant evolution from traditional impact-benefit agreements.

Further cementing this partnership, TTN has made a landmark $20 million equity investment in the Crawford project, securing an 8.4% interest upon conversion and a seat on Canada Nickel's board of directors. This provides TTN with direct influence over the project's direction, ensuring community values and environmental stewardship are embedded at the highest level of decision-making. This collaboration is seen by industry watchers as a blueprint for how resource companies can achieve project certainty while fostering economic reconciliation.

De-risking a Global-Scale Project

Securing a clear path to grid power is one of the most significant de-risking events for any major mining project. By locking in the engineering phase with Hydro One, Canada Nickel has substantially increased investor confidence and operational certainty for Crawford. The project, which boasts a 41-year mine life according to its 2023 feasibility study, carries an estimated after-tax net present value of $2.5 billion.

This infrastructure milestone is complemented by significant progress on the regulatory front. In January 2026, the Crawford project was designated under Ontario's "One Project, One Process" (1P1P) framework, a provincial initiative designed to streamline approvals for large-scale, strategic projects by up to 50%. This designation provides a single point of contact for all provincial permits and Indigenous consultations.

Federally, the project entered the formal Impact Assessment phase in early March 2026, with a final permitting decision anticipated by the summer. The coordinated approach between federal and provincial bodies, coupled with tangible progress on critical infrastructure, supports Canada Nickel's target of making a final construction decision by the end of 2026, with the first nickel production slated for late 2028.

Fueling the Green Economy with NetZero Nickel

The Crawford project is not just large in scale; it is also a leader in environmental ambition. Canada Nickel is pioneering a vision for NetZero Nickel™, leveraging its proprietary In-Process Tailings (IPT) Carbonation technology. The unique geology of the mine's host rock allows it to naturally absorb CO2. The company plans to harness this process to create what could be one of Canada's largest carbon storage facilities, potentially sequestering up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

This ambition to produce carbon-neutral metals aligns perfectly with a market that is increasingly scrutinizing the environmental footprint of supply chains. As automakers and manufacturers race to meet decarbonization targets, the demand for verifiably sustainable materials is exploding. The International Energy Agency projects that nickel demand could triple by 2035 in a net-zero scenario, driven primarily by the EV battery sector.

By securing grid power from Ontario's low-carbon electricity system and developing its own carbon capture technology, the Crawford project is positioning itself to supply the nickel, cobalt, and iron needed for the green transition, but without the associated carbon footprint. This combination of scale, sustainability, and strategic partnerships in a stable jurisdiction like Canada makes the project a pivotal asset in the global shift toward a cleaner economy.