CONTENT PROVIDED BY THE NICKEL INSTITUTE
Nickel’s role in enabling technologies is not always common knowledge. Yet, its versatile properties present great opportunity to the producers of this metal.
Australia’s nickel industry is situated in a very high opportunity environment for the metal. Addressing the recent Paydirt 2019 Australian Nickel Conference in Perth, the Nickel Institute’s Brisbane-based global Director of Market Development, Richard Matheson, said, ‘There is a real opportunity here to grow and protect market share both for existing nickel applications and emerging applications, such as new-era electric vehicle (EV) batteries, energy storage, and even food and water applications’.
OPPORTUNITIES… AND THREATS
This opportunity is being driven by mega trends associated with population growth and the need for ‘more of everything’. With rapid urbanisation and massive migrations of people, particularly in Asia, the demand is rising for more housing, energy, transport, food and clean water – all of which have to be delivered in sustainable ways. ‘Nickel’s properties are excellent for assisting with these needs, so the market for nickel can best be described as fantastic,’ says Matheson.
