Arca, a leader in carbon mineralization, today announced it is working with producers of nickel, a critical metal for the clean energy transition, to advance carbon dioxide removal at mine sites across three continents.
Arca works globally with nickel mine developers and operators to capture and permanently store CO2 in mine tailings using Arca’s technology.
Arca is developing and commercializing a portfolio of technologies that help mining companies measure, maximize and monetize the carbon sequestration potential of their mining byproducts.
Arca's patent-pending mineral activation technology uses high-intensity bursts of energy to transform and disrupt the mineral lattice structure of magnesium rich minerals, increasing both the rate and capacity for CO2 capture and permanent storage.
With material from its mining company partners, Arca has achieved never-before-seen rates of air capture and capacity for CO2 storage, operating at atmospheric air temperature and pressure.
Arca is backed by Lowercarbon Capital and the Grantham Foundation, the leading climate investors in the rapidly emerging carbon dioxide removals industry.
Arca can work with legacy (closed) mines, junior (under development) mining companies, as well as existing mine operations of any size, and is currently working with mining companies in key mining jurisdictions such as Canada, Australia, the USA and Southeast Asia.
Arca co-founder and head of science, Greg Dipple, said the mineral activation technology significantly accelerates the natural process of carbon mineralization using mine tailings from ultramafic rocks.
“This helps these companies transform their tailings into industrial-scale direct air capture and storage facilities, transforming mine waste into a valuable new resource and climate solution,” he said.
Later today Dipple will announce plans to work with the global mining major Vale, and Australia-based juniors Poseidon Nickel, NickelSearch, and Blackstone Minerals.
He will be speaking in Perth tomorrow about Arca’s technology at the Energy & Mines Summit.
According to the International Energy Agency, by 2040 the mining industry will need to produce 10-20 times more critical metals like nickel, for batteries and other green energy infrastructure.