Canadian mining and processing company Fortune Minerals' subsidiary, Fortune Minerals Alberta, has entered into a backstop agreement with waste management and energy infrastructure company SECURE Waste Infrastructure Corp to provide waste disposal solutions for the company’s planned hydrometallurgical facility in Lamont county, Alberta.

The hydrometallurgical facility will process concentrates from Fortune’s planned NICO cobalt/gold/bismuth/copper mine and concentrator in the Northwest Territories, as well as other feed sources, to make value-added critical mineral products for the energy transition, new technologies and defence sectors.

Under the terms of the agreement, SECURE is investigating 1A deep disposal injection well site options and the related pumping and piping infrastructure to transport and dispose of brine wastes that will be produced from Fortune's Alberta hydrometallurgical processing facility.

SECURE will also prepare the preliminary engineering and cost estimates for these facilities and obtain the necessary permits, licences, certifications and authorisations from governmental and regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over the project.

Once the preliminary work is complete, the companies expect to enter into a definitive agreement to develop and operate the injection well over the first ten years of refinery operations. The definitive agreement will also include provisions for the transportation and disposal of an estimated 200 000 t/y of process residue solids in a government-approved landfill.

“We are pleased to partner with SECURE for the development, construction and operation of a 1A deep brine injection well and a solid waste disposal solution for the waste products that will be generated from our Alberta hydrometallurgical facility. SECURE is a trusted local expert in waste management systems and the relationship is a cost- and environment-effective alternative for the treatment of refinery waste products,” says Fortune CEO Robin Goad.

The NICO project is an advanced development asset that comprises a planned openpit and underground mine and concentrator in the Northwest Territories and a dedicated hydrometallurgical facility in Alberta to process three critical minerals to value-added products.

The project is expected to provide a reliable vertically integrated North American supply of battery-grade cobalt sulphate, bismuth ingots and copper cement products to address western supply chain resilience and security vulnerabilities.