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Arca Scientist Eric Wynands working with rover on ultramafic mine tailings at a mine site in Western Australia in 2025
Arca Climate Technologies Inc. ("Arca"), an Industrial Mineralization company, and Giga Metals Corporation ("Giga Metals") (TSX-V: GIGA; OTCQB: GIGGF; FSE: BRR2), a Canadian mining company advancing the Turnagain Nickel Project in British Columbia in partnership with the Mitsubishi Corporation, today announced a 10-year tailings and waste rock access agreement that was signed January 9, 2026.
The agreement grants Arca an exclusive right to evaluate the potential of the ultramafic waste rock and mine tailings at the Turnagain Project to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Arca will conduct sampling, analysis, pilot-scale testing, and techno-economic studies using its proprietary Industrial Mineralization technology.
Giga Metals estimates that approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of ultramafic material will be generated at the site once mining commences. Arca's technologies activate minerals found in ultramafic rock, accelerating a natural geochemical process called carbon mineralization – the transformation of atmospheric CO2 into stable solid mineral form. Co-benefits related to waste valorization and mine site sustainability are also generated. Arca estimates that the deployment of its technologies on site will create the lifetime potential to remove up to 220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Canadian government 2022 Critical Minerals Strategy identified nickel production as a national priority to meet the demands of the energy transition, with the goal of making Canada a global supplier of choice for critical minerals. The pursuit of this goal has been enhanced recently by new Canadian Federal Government investments and policies such as the Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund, the Defence Industrial Strategy and the Major Projects Office.
"As Canada seeks to strengthen our economy and our position as a leading producer of critical minerals, Turnagain stands out as one of the largest undeveloped nickel resources in the country," said Paul Needham, CEO of Arca. "By pairing critical minerals development with permanent carbon dioxide removal, Giga Metals and Arca will demonstrate a new mining paradigm with enhanced project economics and broader societal benefit."
"At Giga Metals we have been working with Arca Principals on carbon sequestration for more than a decade," said Scott Lendrum, CEO of Giga Metals. "We are pleased to formalize our arrangement to allow both companies to focus on what they do best: produce nickel concentrate with high ESG credentials, and maximize the permanent sequestration of carbon dioxide by converting mine waste into reactive sequestration minerals. Working with Arca allows us to evaluate emerging technologies that could enhance the environmental and economic performance of the Turnagain Project while supporting innovation in the mining sector."
About Giga Metals
Giga Metals Corporation's core asset is the Turnagain Project, located in northern British Columbia, which contains one of the few significant undeveloped sulphide nickel and cobalt resources in the world. Turnagain is held in Hard Creek Nickel, a subsidiary owned jointly by Giga Metals Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation.
The Turnagain ultramafic complex is also prospective for copper, platinum and palladium mineralization in the Attic Zone, an area adjacent to the known nickel resource.
Contact:
Scott Lendrum, CEO
info@gigametals.com
Phone: +1 (604) 681-2300
About Arca
Arca is an Industrial Mineralization company that leverages pre-existing industrial infrastructure and alkaline waste to accelerate the natural process of carbon mineralization and permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Arca was founded on 20 years' pioneering research at the University of British Columbia by Dr. Greg Dipple and is backed by some of the world's leading climate technology investors. Arca is supported by several Canadian government departments and private philanthropic institutions and was a Milestone Award winner and Top 20 Finalist in the globally prestigious XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition.
Arca's cost-efficient system creates highly durable (10,000+ year) removals supported by robust third-party verification. By partnering with heavy industry like mining and steel production, Arca is building the foundation for gigatonne-scale carbon removal.
Contact:
Sean Lowrie, Head of External Affairs
sean@arcaclimate.com
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/417da35e-3b51-47ae-8c6e-70f60c3fd8cb
