Nickel

  • Copper, Aluminum, and Nickel Prices Edge Higher Amid Market Uncertainty

    BY Lara Browne
    The London Metal Exchange (LME) saw refined copper closing at $9,068 per ton, up $4 or 0.04% on the official three-month goods price basis. Despite ongoing concerns about China’s economic outlook, copper prices remained above the $9,000 mark, buoyed by hopes for government stimulus measures. LME copper stock levels, excluding canceled warrants, continued their 12-day...
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  • Vale Completes Voisey’s Bay Mine Expansion to Boost Nickel Production

    BY John Davis
    Vale Metais Básicos has completed the construction and commissioning of the $2.94 billion Voisey’s Bay Mine Expansion Project in northern Labrador, Canada. The expansion marks a significant milestone, increasing nickel in concentrate production to 45,000 tons per year (ktpa), alongside 20 ktpa of copper and 2.6 ktpa of cobalt. This development is seen as crucial...
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  • High Copper Prices Drive Cobalt Oversupply, With Indonesia’s Nickel Adding Pressure

    BY Lars Jensen
    The global cobalt market faces an ongoing oversupply, largely driven by increased production from copper-cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to Fastmarkets researchers, the DRC produced 76% of the world’s cobalt in 2023, a share projected to remain steady through 2024 and 2025. This oversupply is closely linked to the...
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  • Eramet Relies on Chinese Partners for Competitive Nickel Production

    BY John Davis
    French mining company Eramet has highlighted the importance of its Chinese partners in ensuring competitive nickel production and maintaining profitability. According to Jérôme Baudelet, chief executive of Eramet Indonesia, Chinese companies are essential in keeping costs manageable and ensuring the viability of operations. “The risk is not being competitive and to have a much higher...
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  • Indonesia Limits Nickel Ore Supplies to Support Local Miners Amid Market Slump

    BY John Davis
    Indonesia is tightening supplies of nickel ore to protect smaller local miners as the global market for the battery metal faces a prolonged slump, according to French miner Eramet. The move has affected the world’s largest nickel mine, operated by Eramet in North Maluku province, after Indonesia allocated it a sales quota that was 29%...
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  • Nickel Prices Expected to Stay Rangebound in 2025 Amid Supply Surplus

    BY Lara Browne
    The nickel market, which heavily relies on demand from the stainless steel and electric vehicle (EV) sectors, is proving to be challenging to forecast due to its volatility. After a significant spike in 2022 triggered by geopolitical events, nickel prices have since stabilized but remain sensitive to shifts in market conditions. Nickel demand is closely...
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  • Prony Resources Prepares to Restart Nickel Production in New Caledonia

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Nickel miner Prony Resources New Caledonia is gearing up to restart production after a six-month suspension caused by civil unrest in the French territory. The company, which operates the Goro mine and a plant producing battery-grade nickel, has brought its staff back to the facilities as it prepares for a resumption of activities, according to...
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  • Korea Zinc’s Battery Precursor Technology Recognized as National Core Technology

    BY Lara Browne
    Korea Zinc, the world’s largest producer in the non-ferrous metals sector, has had its patented technology for processing secondary battery precursors officially recognized by the South Korean government as a national core technology. This designation means that the government will manage the technology with special oversight, particularly in matters of mergers and acquisitions involving foreign...
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  • BHP Warns Australia Risks Losing Out in Mining Amid Shifting Global Competition

    BY John Davis
    BHP Group’s Australia President, Geraldine Slattery, has warned that the nation can no longer rely solely on its traditional mining export markets and is unprepared to face a new era of lower-cost competitors. Speaking in Brisbane on Monday, Slattery highlighted that the boom in demand from China’s industrialization has now moved past its aggressive growth...
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  • China’s Monthly Nickel, Cobalt, and Lithium Production Update

    BY Lars Jensen
    In October, China produced 178,800 tonnes of nickel sulfate, equivalent to 39,300 tonnes of nickel content, reflecting a 2.71% month-on-month (MoM) decline, according to a survey by Mysteel. The production was derived from various sources, including mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), high-grade nickel matte, and secondary nickel. The nickel sulfate production is expected to decline further...
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  • Trump Expected to Tighten Restrictions on Chinese Nickel Under IRA

    BY Lars Jensen
    Industry sources indicate that the incoming Trump US administration is planning to adopt a stricter approach toward allowing Chinese-owned or operated raw materials, such as nickel, to qualify for credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Washington insiders told Fastmarkets that one of the new administration’s early actions will likely be to tighten the Foreign...
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  • Tighter Restrictions on Chinese Nickel Expected Under Incoming Trump Administration

    BY Lars Jensen
    Securing nickel that complies with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) requirements is expected to become even more challenging. The US president-elect, Donald Trump, is likely to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to allowing Chinese-owned or operated supplies of raw materials like nickel to qualify for IRA credits. Washington sources told Fastmarkets that one of the first...
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  • Nickel Asia’s Earnings Hit by 30% Drop as Ore Prices Fall

    BY John Davis
    Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) has reported a 30% decline in net income for the first nine months of 2024, mainly due to weaker nickel ore prices. The mining firm’s net income fell to PHP 2.55 billion (USD 45.1 million), down from PHP 3.65 billion (USD 64.5 million) during the same period last year. The company’s...
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  • PT Vale Indonesia Signs $1.4 Billion Deal with China’s GEM for Net-Zero Nickel Processing Plant

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Nickel processing company PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (INCO) has officially signed a cooperation agreement with Chinese firm GEM, for the development of a net-zero nickel processing facility in Central Sulawesi. The signing took place in Beijing this week and was witnessed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during his visit to China. The $1.4 billion project...
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  • Monel Market Faces Downward Pressure Amid Nickel Surplus and Industrial Challenges

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    The Monel market is experiencing significant downward pressure at the start of Q4 2024, driven primarily by declining nickel prices and challenges within the manufacturing sector of major economies. Monel, a nickel-copper alloy known for its exceptional corrosion resistance and strength in marine and chemical processing applications, is being impacted by changing market dynamics shaped...
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  • Norsk Titanium Secures Continued US Department of Defense Funding for Nickel Superalloy Component Development

    BY John Davis
    Norsk Titanium has secured ongoing funding from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance its production capabilities for nickel superalloy components using its proprietary Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) technology. This funding aims to refine the manufacturing process for these components, which are widely used in the defense and oil and gas sectors for their...
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  • Philippines Looks to Critical Minerals Agreement with US to Reduce Dependence on China

    BY John Davis
    A critical minerals agreement with the United States could help reduce the Philippines’ dependence on Chinese and Indonesian exports and enable the country to focus on producing nickel suitable for battery use, according to Nickel Asia Corp. President and CEO Martin Antonio G. Zamora. Speaking at the Pilipinas Conference 2024, Zamora explained that China, the...
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  • Indonesia Set to Become World’s Largest Nickel Producer, Says Eramet Indonesia CEO

    BY John Davis
    Jérôme Baudelet, CEO of nickel producer Eramet Indonesia, predicts that Indonesia will become the world’s largest nickel producer in the next decade, thanks to significant increases in production volumes. In 2023, Indonesia supplied 55% of the world’s total nickel production, highlighting the country’s growing influence on the global nickel market. Baudelet expects that by 2034,...
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  • Zhejiang Huayou Seeks $2.7 Billion for Indonesia Nickel Plant Backed by Ford

    BY John Davis
    Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, among the largest nickel producers globally, is in discussions with banks for $2.7 billion in financing for its Ford-backed battery-grade nickel project in Indonesia, sources familiar with the matter have indicated. The project aims to boost nickel production for electric vehicles. HSBC and Standard Chartered are arranging the loan and inviting additional...
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  • Alaska Energy Metals Pushes Forward in Domestic Nickel Exploration Efforts

    BY Lars Jensen
    With the United States aiming for greater energy independence, Alaska’s mineral-rich deposits could play a crucial role in reducing reliance on imports. Amid this rising demand, Canadian mining company Alaska Energy Metals (AEM) is focusing on exploring Alaska’s underground nickel deposits, seeing it as a strategic opportunity to bolster the domestic supply chain. Greg Beischer,...
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  • L&F Company to Begin Production of High Nickel NCM Cathodes for BEV Batteries

    BY John Davis
    South Korean battery materials producer L&F Company announced plans to begin production of nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by the end of 2024. The new cathodes will feature 95% nickel content, the highest used so far in BEV battery cathodes. The company made the announcement during its third-quarter earnings presentation, revealing a...
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  • Nornickel Increases Production of Non-Ferrous Metals in Q3 2024

    BY John Davis
    Nornickel released its production results for the first nine months and the third quarter of 2024, showing mixed trends across different metals. From January to September 2024, nickel production rose by 0.3%, reaching 146.2 thousand tons, while copper output increased significantly by 7%, totaling 326.1 thousand tons. Palladium production also saw a slight increase of 1%, totaling...
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  • Nickel Sector Faces Dynamic Changes Amid Indonesian Acquisitions and Global Market Shifts

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Nickel Industries is strengthening its position as a major global nickel resource holder through strategic acquisitions in Indonesia. In August 2024, the company acquired the Sampala project and a 51% stake in the Siduarsi project, amid a severe nickel ore shortage in Indonesia. This shortage has driven a 45% increase in local nickel prices since...
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  • Sumitomo Resumes Production at Ambatovy Nickel and Cobalt Project

    BY Lars Jensen
    Japanese trading house Sumitomo announced on Thursday that it had resumed production at the Ambatovy nickel and cobalt project in Madagascar at the end of October, following a pipeline issue in September. While production has restarted, the company is currently reviewing future output volumes. Sumitomo has faced challenges stabilizing production and improving profitability at Ambatovy,...
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