Commissioning is underway at the Weda Bay Nickel Project in Indonesia after the project’s first RKEF line smelter became operational on April 30.
Production is in early stages but the project, which is owned by China’s Tsingshan Holding Group and Eramet, has an output capacity for 30,000mt. The project is part of a large, integrated industrial park.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major complications, particularly within the global supply chain, but Weda Bay’s opening date has remained on schedule.
According to estimates, there has been a global nickel glut of approximately 60,000mt because demand from stainless steel producers in China waned after COVID-19 began spreading in the country.
Eramet, a French mining company, produced 918,000wmt of nickel ore during Q1 2020, rising by 5pc from the prior year period.