Vale Base Metals Secures Funding for New Carbonyl Reactor

#Ontario provincial funds will support #Vale Base Metals’ #NickelCarbonyl refining project.

Posted on October 24, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A modern carbonyl reactor used in nickel production, featuring a Canadian flag design, with workers in lab coats and safety gear operating the equipment in a well-lit industrial facility.

Development of new reactor will expand processing capacity, enable processing of alternative feedstocks.

The reactor in operation currently has been operating since 1973,

Vale Base Metals (VBM) has been awarded $500,000 in provincial funding to advance a refining process used in nickel production at its Copper Cliff refinery.

Provided by the Ontario Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF), the money will go toward research and development of a next-generation carbonyl reactor, which is used to produce “one of the purest forms of nickel available,” according to the company.

“Carbonyl-refined nickel is used for the most demanding applications in aerospace, defence, and electronics for our key critical mineral clients looking for secure and reliable supply chains. We are grateful to the CMIF for their generous support as we take the carbonyl process to the next stage in its evolution.”

Pioneered by Vale more than 100 years ago, carbonyl refining is described as a complex process that’s still used by only a “handful” of companies today.