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Nickel

Nickel is a silvery-white metallic element and critical industrial commodity used primarily in stainless steel production, battery manufacturing and metal alloys. The metal accounts for approximately two-thirds of global nickel consumption through its role in stainless steel, where it imparts corrosion resistance and strength. Nickel is increasingly significant in the energy transition as a key component in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, particularly in nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) cathode chemistries. Major nickel-producing countries include Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, New Caledonia and Australia, with Indonesia dominating global supply through laterite ore deposits. The metal is extracted through mining of sulphide and laterite ores, followed by various refining processes including pyrometallurgical smelting, hydrometallurgical leaching and electrorefining to produce refined nickel suitable for industrial use. Nickel prices are traded on the London Metal Exchange and are subject to volatility driven by stainless steel demand from China, battery sector growth and supply constraints. The metal is classified as a critical mineral by several jurisdictions, including the United States and the European Union, owing to its strategic importance in clean energy technologies and industrial applications. Demand for high-purity nickel suitable for battery applications is projected to grow substantially as electrification accelerates, prompting investment in new refining capacity and technologies. Nickel was first isolated as a pure element in the eighteenth century and has been commercially produced since the nineteenth century, with large-scale industrial use expanding alongside stainless steel development in the early twentieth century.

Nickel News


A map indicating the global distribution and regional exposure profile of baseline water stress for mining and metals facilities
Competition for water resources a risk to the global energy transition, warns ICMM
22nd July 2026 By: Chanel de Bruyn

Mining and metals advocacy group the ICMM warns that water availability could, in many regions, act as a constraint on the development of new mines and related facilities, particularly for the... 


Vale's Mutuca iron-ore mine
Vale posts largest second-quarter iron-ore output since 2018
22nd July 2026 By: Reuters

Brazilian miner Vale posted on Tuesday its largest second-quarter output figure since 2018, with production of the steelmaking material rising 0.8% from a year earlier and coming above analysts'... 


Zinc metal
Zinc expected to retreat in 2026 as weak demand offsets supply fears
20th July 2026 By: Reuters

Zinc prices are expected to retreat from recent highs over the rest of the year as lacklustre demand offsets supply disruptions, analysts say. The metal used to galvanise steel is up more than 13%... 


Sherritt signage
Note holders group of Sherritt claims proper recapitalisation engagement is lacking
20th July 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

An ad hoc group of note holders of nickel and cobalt producer Sherritt International Corporation has expressed concern about the company's claims to be in active discussions with its senior lenders... 


Valterra Platinum CEO Craig Miller
Higher sales volumes, prices contribute to significant earnings increases for Valterra
17th July 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

Platinum group metals (PGMs) miner Valterra Platinum expects its headline earnings and headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the six months ended June 30 to increase by more than 1 388%... 


Aerial view of the headgear of the Platreef mine’s three shafts. The recently commissioned four-million-tonne-a-year Shaft #3 will be used to hoist ore for the Phase 1 operation as well as, from the fourth quarter of 2027, for the Phase 2 operations. Shaft #2 is currently being widened to a diameter of 10 m, making it the largest shaft in Africa.
Platreef palladium/rhodium/nickel/platinum/copper/gold project, South Africa – update
17th July 2026 By: Sheila Barradas

Commercial production is now expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. 


Minerals Council South Africa economist André Lourens
South Africa's mine production weakens as commodity price support starts to fade – council
16th July 2026 By: Creamer Media Reporter

Minerals Council South Africa economist André Lourens notes that the country's mining output contracted the first time in five months in May, which "proved particularly challenging on two fronts".... 


Brazilian Nickel's Piauí cobalt and nickel project
Brazilian Nickel secures $19m financing for Piauí nickel, cobalt mine
14th July 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

Nickel and cobalt-focused Brazilian Nickel has secured $19.2-million in financing from Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social, (BNDES) in Brazil, for its subsidiary Piauí Nickel... 


Sherritt's nickel/cobalt joint venture operation in Cuba
Sherritt pursuing comprehensive recapitalisation to cope amid Cuba challenges
14th July 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

Embattled nickel and cobalt refiner Sherritt International Corporation has warned it is operating with constrained liquidity after it suspended its joint venture activities in Cuba and stopped its... 


Ore in truck
China expands strategic mineral toolkit with new investment firm
13th July 2026 By: Bloomberg

A new, Beijing-backed mining investment vehicle is aimed at bolstering China’s grip on overseas resources, as the country pushes back against US and European efforts to curb its dominance of the... 


Niel Lourens- VP Cyclones and Spirals
Precision in every particle: Multotec’s spirals and cyclones redefine separation efficiency
9th July 2026 By: Haydon Whitley

In an era where accuracy and efficiency define mineral processing performance, Multotec is advancing the science of separation through its high-efficiency spiral concentrators and cyclones.... 


Prospecting licences renewed, drilling under way for Power Metal’s Botswana project
Prospecting licences renewed, drilling under way for Power Metal’s Botswana project
6th July 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

Aim-listed Power Metal Resources says drilling has begun as part of a 1 600 m core drilling programme targeting an initial five high-interest geological and geophysical targets on the eastern... 


McCreedy West mine
Magna Mining raises C$120m from private placement, gains major shareholder
6th July 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

TSX-listed Magna Mining has announced a private placement with Latin American miner Alpayana to purchase 62-million common shares at a price of C$2.25 apiece, raising C$140-million. Alpayana will... 


Botswana Minerals chairperson John Teeling
AI review uncovers historic copper mineralisation targets for Botswana Minerals
30th June 2026 By: Lumkile Nkomfe

Aim-listed Botswana Minerals has announced that an AI-driven review of legacy geological records identified primary copper sulphide and altered copper minerals in historical drill cores from holes... 


McCreedy West mine
Magna Mining reaches new quarterly tonnage record at McCreedy West
30th June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

TSX-listed copper, nickel and platinum group metals producer Magna Mining has achieved record quarterly tonnage at the McCreedy West mine, in Sudbury, Ontario. The mine shipped 91 724 t of ore from... 


China's national flag
China accelerates plans for sulphur futures as Iran war amplifies price swings, sources say
29th June 2026 By: Reuters

China is planning to launch its first sulphur futures contracts this year, sources said, in a push to help hedge against price swings and increase its pricing power in the global trade for a key... 


Sherritt's nickel/cobalt joint venture operation in Cuba
Sherritt warns of going-concern risk after Trump expands Cuba sanctions
26th June 2026 By: Bloomberg

A Canadian miner that is one of Cuba’s biggest foreign investors warned investors that its ability to carry on as a going concern is in doubt after Donald Trump expanded US sanctions on the... 


PT Gunbuster Nickel, in Indonesia
Major Indonesian nickel smelter enters court-ordered debt halt
25th June 2026 By: Bloomberg

One of Indonesia’s largest nickel smelters has been placed under a temporary debt suspension by a local court, as the Southeast Asian nation’s industry grapples with ore shortages and low metal... 


Danakali project map in Australia
Danakali expects assays on four projects by August
25th June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

National Stock Exchange of Australia-listed Danakali has completed field reconnaissance and soil sampling across four of its projects in the Gascoyne and Murchison regions, with additional sampling... 


Vedanta's aluminium smelter in India
Vedanta completes historic demerger, lists four new companies in India
25th June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

Global diversified miner Vedanta Group has passed a defining milestone in Indian corporate history with the successful listing of four newly demerged companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange and... 


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pqt: 1.497s - ct: 6.352s - 275pq - 2rq
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