South Africa’s Thakadu Battery Materials (Thakadu) has begun producing refined nickel for commercial use, at an annual target capacity of 14,515mt for 2021.
The company plans to increase its refinery’s annual capacity to 22,680mt in the next phase of production, according to media reports. Thakadu began constructing its South Africa refinery in 2018 with an investment of $20mn.
The unit’s estimated total capacity is 27,216mt, and it is the first in a series of battery raw materials production projects the company plans to undertake in its quest to become a multi-asset producer for battery materials in the long term.