RE:Will we have enough nickel for our EVs in 2030?You are wrong Endzone. Low grade deposits are not economic and are two risky as nickel prices are volatile and over the course of 35 years you stand to lose a lot of money. That's why Dumont even with cheap Quebec hydro doesn't sell. CNC has higher costs too.
sources for your review please do some reading:
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"Nickel Laterite Processing Technologies – Where to Next?" by P. Scinto, and J. van der Ent, Minerals Engineering, 2016. This article discusses the challenges of extracting nickel from low grade laterite deposits, including the high cost of extraction.
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"Nickel laterites: a review," by B. Roy, and A. Das, in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 2014. This paper discusses the low recovery rates associated with processing low grade nickel laterite ores.
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"Nickel: A Global Review," by R. Grant Cawthorn, in Mineral Economics, 2013. This paper discusses the limited market demand for nickel, which can impact the profitability of mining low grade deposits.
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"Environmental impacts of nickel mining and processing," by K. S. Smith, et al., Science of the Total Environment, 2014. This article discusses the environmental impacts of nickel mining, which can make it difficult to obtain permits for mining low grade deposits.
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"Nickel laterite deposits: geological overview, resources and exploitation," by S. M. R. Hasancebi, and S. Bilen, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2016. This paper discusses the difficulties of exploring for low grade nickel laterite deposits, which may not be economically feasible to explore.
EndZonefor7 wrote: How much of this nickel is net zero carbon ? Who has the potential for the largest carbon capture facility in Canadian mining in Timmins in the next 4 years ?
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Demand:
Historically, close to 70 per cent of refined nickel went into the manufacturing of stainless steel. In recent years, demand for nickel has been shifting to its use in EV batteries. Electric-vehicle battery demand now accounts for 5 per cent of overall nickel production. A typical 60-kilowatt-hour EV battery contains 40 to 50 kilograms of nickel. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, EVs will make up between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of new vehicle sales in 2030. In China, EV demand is projected to be similar.
Current global vehicle sales are in the 70 million to 80 million range. Using the 40-per-cent EV sales estimate, we would forecast total sales of 35 million electric vehicles by 2030. For comparison, the International Energy Agency estimates EV sales will then be around 45 million vehicles annually.
With the 40 to 50 kilograms of nickel per vehicle estimate, we would require between 1.5 million and two million tonnes of nickel annually for these EVs. Mining Weekly sees nickel output likely to reach 3.8 million tonnes in 2030. Brazilian mining company Vale SA sees demand as high as 6.2 million tonnes by 2030.
Outlook:
In the short term, increased Indonesian production, a slow Chinese reopening and recession fears are dampening the price of nickel. Looking further out, demand from EVs and other climate targets will cause a constrained supply that will require substantial price increases or a shift in technology.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/investment-ideas/article-will-we-have-enough-nickel-for-our-evs-in-2030/