Renforth Resources is working with Queen's University on a hydrometallurgical process that could recover nickel, cobalt, copper and zinc from low-grade sulphide ore at its Victoria deposit in Quebec. The method is designed to extract metals that standard flotation misses, including nickel locked in pyrrhotite. The project also tests whether the ore's ultramafic host rock can absorb CO2 as stable carbonates during leaching. Bench scale and column tests, plus techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, will determine if the process is viable. For Victoria, the upside is lower carbon metal production and better economics on a deposit that currently holds an inferred resource of 125 Mt. The broader implication is for other low-grade sulphide projects trying to supply battery and EV markets with a smaller environmental footprint.
