Nord Precious Metals Secures MICA Funding To Commercialize Arsenic-Tolerant Mineral Recovery

Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. has obtained $200,000 from the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network to advance its Re-2Ox hydrometallurgical system from Technology Readiness Level 6 to 7. The funding will support a 1,000-hour pilot at the Temiskaming Testing Labs in Cobalt, Ontario, moving the technology closer to commercial deployment for arsenic-rich tailings processing.

Key Takeaways

• $200,000 MICA grant to scale Re-2Ox from TRL 6 to TRL 7
• 1,000-hour pilot demonstration at TTL facility in Cobalt, Ontario
• 99% arsenic capture as stable scorodite; 80% lower energy use vs pyroprocessing
• Modular, containerized design; multi-metal recovery (silver, cobalt, nickel, manganese)
• Path to first commercial deployment by mid-2026

Innovative Hydrometallurgical Breakthrough

Re-2Ox is a containerized hydrometallurgical platform designed to process arsenic-bearing tailings and concentrates. Unlike traditional smelters that reject or heavily penalize high-arsenic feeds, Re-2Ox:

1. Captures 99% of arsenic as stable scorodite or copper-arsenate.
2. Reduces energy consumption by 80% compared to pyrometallurgical methods.
3. Recovers battery-critical metals (cobalt, nickel, manganese) alongside silver.

Market Opportunity And Strategic Impact

Global tailings inventories total roughly 282 billion tonnes, with 14 billion tonnes added annually. Legacy facilities often bypass arsenic-rich streams, leaving vast resources untapped. Nord’s initial addressable segment focuses on 18 million tonnes within Ontario’s historic Cobalt Camp, where the company owns multiple tailings sites.

By converting a per-tonne liability into a margin-positive operation, Re-2Ox supports:

• Direct operations via Nord’s existing facilities.
• Licensing and equipment leasing agreements worldwide.
• Toll processing of third-party feeds requiring arsenic remediation.

Pilot Demonstration And Validation

The 1,000-hour pilot at Temiskaming Testing Labs will generate real-world operational data, bridging the “valley of death” between lab validation and commercial rollout. Independent testing by SGS Lakefield will verify performance and underpin:

• Equipment financing and offtake agreements.
• Flow-through funding eligibility for Canadian critical minerals.
• Specialized grants requiring third-party endorsement.

Competitive Advantages

Re-2Ox distinguishes itself by addressing feeds that:

• Traditional smelters reject or charge steep surcharges.
• Emerging modular technologies cannot handle without pre-cleaning.
• Bio-leaching processes treat slowly and recover precious metals poorly.

Its closed-loop chemistry eliminates liquid discharge and produces saleable arsenic products, while the containerized format enables rapid deployment at any site with basic utilities.

Path To Commercialization

Key milestones on Nord’s schedule include:

1. Submission of the Recovery Permit (July 2025) under Ontario’s 80-day review.
2. Completion of pilot and data collection by late 2025.
3. SGS validation and financing arrangements in early 2026.
4. First commercial module deployment by mid-2026, with global expansion to follow.

Nord Precious Metals’ MICA-backed pilot represents a critical step in unlocking hundreds of billions of tonnes of stranded value from arsenic-rich tailings, bolstering both resource recovery and the energy transition.

Sources

• Nord Precious Metals Secures MICA Investment to Scale Critical Minerals Production from Tailings, Junior Mining Network.