Thakadu Battery Materials Ltd. has started production at its nickel sulfate refinery in South Africa, it was reported recently. Thakadu, a battery raw material supplier in South Africa, is the first in a series of projects that will quickly follow the company's goal of becoming a diversified battery raw material producer.
Danie Smit, Chief Operating Officer of Thakadu, said, "This is a huge milestone for our team and we are delighted to bring this nickel sulfate refinery into production at a time when high nickel cathode chemistry will dominate battery and electric vehicle production."
The new nickel sulfate refinery uses a proprietary process to purify crude nickel sulfate extracted from platinum group metal concentrates.
Thakadu is targeting production of 16,000 tonnes per annum in 2021 and increasing to steady production of 25,000 tonnes per annum, and will refine crude nickel sulfate feed under long-term supply agreements with Sibanye-Stillwater and other supplementary feedstock sources.
"We see great value in owning a battery materials platform with production assets, and we are looking for synergetical acquisition opportunities to leverage it as a clean, reliable source of battery materials for the global market," said Ruli Diseko, CEO of Thakadu.
Demand for nickel in the automotive industry is growing rapidly, with electric vehicles expected to represent the largest incremental increase in nickel demand over the next 20 years.
According to Roskill, nickel sulfate consumption has increased by 20 percent per year since 2014, largely driven by the rapidly growing EV battery industry.
The commodity research firm expects nickel demand to grow from about 90,000-100,000 tons in 2020 to 2.6 MT in 2040. "We are excited to lead Africa in its contribution to a cleaner planet," Diseko said.
We believe that investing in the value-added of battery raw materials at the source is not only developmental, but can also improve logistics and supply efficiency, which is net positive for a green future."
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