Nickel Market
Connect with verified nickel suppliers across Indonesia, Philippines and global origins. Battery grade and industrial nickel with full specification documentation and traceability.
Join the WaitlistLME Grade A nickel reference price, updated every minute from futures market data.
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Nickel is at the centre of two major industrial megatrends: stainless steel production (which accounts for roughly 70% of nickel demand) and lithium-ion battery manufacturing for electric vehicles (a rapidly growing share projected to reach 30 to 40% by 2030). This dual demand profile makes nickel one of the most strategically important metals of the energy transition.
Indonesia has emerged as the dominant force in global nickel supply, accounting for over 50% of world mine production, largely from laterite deposits processed into Nickel Pig Iron (NPI) and increasingly into battery grade nickel sulphate and MHP (Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate). The Philippines is the second-largest supplier of nickel ore, primarily laterite ore shipped to Chinese NPI producers.
The nickel market is divided into Class 1 and Class 2 products. Class 1 nickel , refined nickel with minimum 99.8% purity , settles on the LME and is used in alloys, plating, and increasingly battery cathodes. Class 2 nickel , NPI, ferronickel, nickel oxide sinter , trades at discounts to LME and is consumed primarily in stainless steel production.
The rise of NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminium) battery chemistries has created surging demand for battery grade nickel sulphate (minimum 22% Ni, low impurities including cobalt below 100ppm, iron below 5ppm). The processing route from laterite ore to battery grade nickel sulphate , via High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) or via NPI-to-matte conversion , is complex, capital intensive, and geographically concentrated in Indonesia and China.
| Product | Ni Content | Primary Use | Key Origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel Ore (laterite) | 1.0% to 2.5% Ni | NPI / ferronickel feed | Indonesia, Philippines, New Caledonia |
| Nickel Ore (sulphide) | 0.5% to 3.0% Ni | Concentrate / refinery feed | Canada, Russia, Australia |
| Nickel Pig Iron (NPI) | 4% to 15% Ni | Stainless steel | Indonesia, China |
| Ferronickel | 15% to 40% Ni | Stainless steel | Indonesia, Philippines, New Caledonia |
| Class 1 Refined Nickel | 99.8%+ Ni | Alloys, batteries, plating | Russia, Canada, Australia, Norway |
| Nickel Sulphate | 22%+ Ni | Battery cathode (NMC/NCA) | China, Indonesia, Finland |
OreTrade lists battery grade nickel sulphate and MHP with full specification sheets , enabling EV battery supply chain procurement with documented provenance.
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