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To: LoneClone who wrote (141526)	5/1/2020 4:18:29 PM
From: LoneClone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 192929

Nickel, nickel sulphate: First Quantum braced for Ravensthorpe restart roskill.com Posted 1st May 2020 in ?Industry news. By Jack Anderson First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has continued operational readiness work at its Ravensthorpe nickel/cobalt operation in Western Australia, resulting in the restart of the acid plant and atmospheric leaching operations in March 2020. FQM has also announced that it brought the first circuit of the high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) plant on-line in mid-April and that it expectsthe second HPAL circuit to come on-line soon. The first shipment is expected by the end of May 2020 and FQM has stated that it plans to produce 15-20kt Ni in 2020. Roskill View FQM acquired the Ravensthorpe mine and HPAL plant (previously owned by BHP Billiton) in February 2010, with commercial production reached in December 2011. The HPAL operation wasidled in October 2017 amid low nickel prices. However, rising nickel prices through 2019, combined with healthy prospects for long-term demand from the EV batteries sector, led FQM to announce plans to restart operations. The Ravensthorpe plant, similarly to MCC Ramu NiCo in Papua New Guinea and Meta Nickel Cobalt in Turkey, produces a mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), which is used in nickel sulphate production. Roskill expects battery-grade intermediates including MHP to form a crucial feedstock for nickel sulphate production used in Li-ion battery precursor materials. Ravensthorpe will have to compete with several HPAL projects in Indonesia, which are also aiming to produce MHP over the next few years. PT Halmahera Persada Lygend is targeting first production in late-2020 on Obi Island. Recommencing operations at Ravensthorpe is currently a risk given the uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 pandemic but, if Ravensthorpe can weather the initial storm, it stands to ride the wave provided by long-term EV battery demand. Roskill’s NEW Nickel: Outlook to 2029, 16th Edition report was published in April 2020, while its NEW Nickel Sulphate: Outlook to 2029, 3rd Edition report will be published in May. The reports outlineindustry trends and forecasts over the next decade, including the growth of intermediate nickel products used as feedstock in nickel sulphate production. Click here for more information. Image from First Quantum Minerals Contact the author This article was written by Jack Anderson. Please get in touch below if you wish to discuss further: Contact the author