Basf will work with Eramet, the global mining and metallurgy group, to assess the development of state-of-the-art nickel and cobalt hydrometallurgical refineries, it was recently reported.
Such developments will include a high pressure acid leaching (HPAL) plant and a base metal refinery (BMR).
The HPAL will be located in Veda Bay, Indonesia, while the LOCATION of the BMR will be determined during the feasibility study.
The project aims to launch the HPAL and BMR facilities by the mid-2020s and will begin a phase 1 feasibility study with limited funding.
The HPAL plant will process local fixed mining ore from the Weda Bay deposit to produce nickel and cobalt intermediates.
Since acquiring Veda Bay in 2007, Eramet has carried out extensive geological work and confirmed the potential of this world class deposit, which began mining in late 2019.
BMR will provide nickel and cobalt for the production of cathode Active materials (PCAM) for the precursor and then cathode active materials (CAM) for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.
The project will give BASF an additional 42,000 tonnes of nickel and 5,000 tonnes of cobalt a year from mines operating in accordance with internationally accepted sustainability standards.
Securing access to raw materials, particularly nickel, is key to supporting strong growth in the global ev value chain.
The high nickel CAM's share is growing to meet the demand for higher energy density batteries and lower overall battery costs, and Weda Bay's resources are among the most competitive globally in meeting this demand.
