New Caledonia's positive results in Nickel exports
The latest world nickel production statistics were recently published, a thirty five pager looking at 30 producing countries.
Despite operational difficulties, political tensions, low-cost global competition, New Caledonia continues to weigh heavily in the global nickel market. The combined exports of the Territory's two ferronickel factories (SLN and KNS) are the fourth largest in the world, after Indonesia, Brazil and South Korea. The report categorizes ferronickel but also low-cost nickel smelts (NPI) produced in other countries.
Over 45,000 tons of contained nickel (FeNi) were exported from New Caledonia during the first nine months of the year. The top export destination was China (+17%), Chinese stainless steel factories absorbed 72% of Caledonian ferronickel, far ahead of Japan and Taiwan. Exports to Sweden are up 16% due to the orders from the steel company Outokumpu, on the contrary exports to Spain fell 12%. Overall New Caledonian exports increased from 4% to 7% depending on the data that is considered.
Regarding exports of nickel ore from New Caledonia, data from the INSG shows that they recorded an increase of 16% over the first nine months of the year.
In terms of nickel mining production, New Caledonia also ranks at number 4, behind Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia but ahead of countries such as Canada and Australia.
We can deduce from statistics of the INSG that the industrial complex of Goro occupies the sixth position worldwide.
The table includes eleven other producers of battery-grade nickel for electric vehicles. New Caledonia's intermediate nickel production is up 160% over the first nine months of the year, but in still limited volumes.
The three New Caledonian nickel factories, for stainless steel or electric batteries, are in competition with sixty global competitors in some thirty countries.
Nickel price at the LME in London on 11/26/2020 at 15:45 GMT: $ 16,190 per tonne + 0.70%