09:24 AM EDT, 04/17/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Canada Nickel Co. Inc. ( CNIKF ) on Wednesday said its subsidiary, NetZero Metals had awarded two engineering contracts to SMS group, Metso and Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC.

NetZero Metals is developing two processing facilities -- a nickel processing facility and a stainless steel and alloy production facility in the Timmins Nickel District. Each facility is expected to utilize Canada Nickel's ( CNIKF ) carbon storage capacity at its Crawford Nickel Project to deliver net zero carbon nickel and stainless steel and alloy production, through to the capture of the CO2 emissions from the downstream operation. Completion of feasibility studies remains targeted for year-end.

SMS group, which supplies steel making equipment and plant design, has been awarded the initial scope for the NetZero Metals stainless steel and alloy plant, which will treat the Crawford iron-chrome-nickel concentrate and other feeds to produce a blend of stainless steel and alloys. The target start up date of the steel plant is year-end 2027, aligned with expected first production from Crawford.

Metso, which supplies pyrometallurgical process equipment, has been awarded the key portions of the initial nickel plant scope, which will process the Crawford nickel concentrate and third party feeds to produce a blend of nickel and nickel-cobalt products suitable for the steel and battery markets. The company is targeting an early start up of the nickel plant in the first part of 2027.

Ausenco, a long term partner of Canada Nickel Company ( CNIKF ), is performing the overall facility engineering and packaging of staged engineering studies.