ENERGY MINERALS

Nickel price outlook clouded by disruptive forces

DEMONSTRATION of Tsingshan Holding Group’s capacity to bypass traditional high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) nickel production capital cost and delivery hurdles could “destroy the nickel market”, a veteran nickel industry executive said at this week’s Vancouver Resources Investment Conference (VRIC) in Vancouver. But the nickel discussion panel at the event added to recent market analyst scepticism about Tsingshan’s plan to be producing 50,000 tonnes per annum of battery-grade nickel from a US$700 million plant in Indonesia by 2020.