Canada Nickel Company has announced it has selected Komatsu and SMS Equipment to supply load, haul and associated supporting mining equipment for its Crawford Nickel Project.
The company received proposals from four equipment vendors, eventually selecting Komatsu for its proven technologies in automation and electrification, which are aligned with the company’s vision of safe, sustainable and low-carbon production of critical minerals from Crawford.
“The selection of Komatsu and SMS Equipment to provide the load and haul mining and support fleet to Crawford marks a major step in the development of this project. I am very excited about the potential value that could be unlocked by applying Komatsu’s proven technologies, including Dispatch for fleet management and FrontRunner for autonomous haul trucks,” said Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel.
Komatsu and SMS Equipment also have considerable experience implementing trolley-assisted truck haulage, which reduces diesel fuel consumption and emissions while assisting with an easy transition to battery-electric vehicles, which are expected to be available when Canada Nickel expects to begin production.
“We expect that SMS Equipment’s experience implementing these technologies at other Canadian operations and demonstrated commitment to our project can substantially de-risk the project start-up and ongoing operation. We look forward to continuing to advance Crawford towards a construction decision in 2027,” Selby said.
RELATED: SMS Equipment expands to Finland with acquisition
Canada Nickel plans to complete negotiations on definitive agreements with SMS Equipment and Komatsu by the first quarter of 2027, along with fleet support agreements and the previously announced fleet financing arrangements with Taykwa Tagamou Nation.
“We view Crawford as one of the most important new mining projects in Canada, and we are looking forward to partnering with Canada Nickel’s experienced team to execute their vision,” said SMS Equipment President and CEO Robin Heard.
The Crawford Nickel Project is a proposed open-pit nickel-cobalt mine and processing operation being developed by Canada Nickel Company about 42 km north of Timmins, Ont. The project is centred on one of the world’s largest nickel resources and, as proposed, would include an on-site mill with capacity to process up to 120,000 tonnes of ore per day. The mine is expected to operate for about 41 years and produce nickel alongside cobalt, iron and other metals.
