Vancouver based mining company FPX Nickel is in the early stages of developing its Baptiste Nickel Project, located near Fort St. James in the Stuart-Nechako region of British Columbia. The mine is projected to operate for 29 years, with an annual nickel production averaging 59,100 tonnes.
Positioned northwest of Prince George, the project is at an early stage of development from an engineering and design standpoint and is focusing on a collaborative, consent-based, decision-making process with several Carier Sekani First Nations groups in the area. With capital expenditures exceeding $1.5 billion, the project is expected to create approximately 1500 full-time jobs during the construction phase and 500 jobs during operation, he said.
“We have undertaken First Nations led environmental and cultural baseline studies to understand the land base and that work is being performed by First Nations owned businesses.” According to Turenne, the Baptiste Nickel Project not only addresses the growing demand for nickel but also sets a new standard for responsible resource extraction.