RANKED: World’s top 10 nickel projects

RANKED: World’s top 10 nickel projects

Published in www.mining.com

While nickel is mostly used for stainless steel, the base metal has begun to take centre stage in the production of batteries in electric vehicles, as it is expected that original equipment manufacturers will increasingly use high-nickel cathode battery chemistries.

The global nickel market is currently running at a surplus, but a supply deficit is expected to form in 2027 –and remain as demand accelerates.The shift in market dynamics is already being reflected in the price of nickel, which recently surged to its highest since 2014. Prices are now approaching what market participants believe to be a key level for unlocking fresh supply.

To identify major nickel deposits that could form part of the global supply landscape in the future, MINING.COM and sister company MiningIntelligence compiled the 10 largest projects under development worldwide and ranked them based on contained nickel resources in the measured and indicated categories.

While the world’s top nickel suppliers are Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia, Six of the top 10 nickel projects are in North America, including three Canadian deposits that are all ranked in the top 5.Four projects —NORI Clarion –Clipperton, Sangaji, Crawford and Mesaba —are in the advanced exploration stage. The two British Columbia projects have reached the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) stage. The remaining projects are either at Prefeasibility (PFS) or Feasibility (FS).