New bid for Vale assets in New Caledonia
According to an AFP report a South Korean company has made a bid to buy the Vale nickel plant which is currently being sold to New Century Resources, an Australian company.
Last month, Vale said it had struck a deal with New Century Resources to buy 95 percent of its assets. A tentative agreement for the sale was signed with the financing due to finalise within two months.
But an unnamed South Korean company in partnership with Sofinor, the majority owner of the Koniambo plant in the Northern Province is part of another bid. Sofinor would acquire 56% and the South Korean company 44 percent.
Pro-independence politicians have pushed for nickel ressources to be kept in Caledonia possession instead of being sold to foreign companies and as such are reluctant of the Australian bid.