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Nordic managing director Todd Ross (second from
left) recently visited the company’s flagship Pulju
project in Finland

on site. Nickel buyers will certainly be hungry to
“Once it’s there, plug supply as not only is there a forecast
even over the sum- shortage of nickel needed for decarboni-
mer once the snow sation efforts – on top of the existing stain-
melts, there’s some less steel industry – but clean nickel sul-
boggier areas, but phides will rank as most desirable above
all we need to do is all else to fulfil environmental needs.
plan a drill campaign “To get clean nickel sulphides is going
around that and to be a real challenge going forward and
there’s a lot of high I think the latest predictions of forecast
ground.” is there’s only 10 new nickel mines com-
While Nordic ing on by 2025 and only five are nickel
proves up the fun- sulphides, and the total production from
damentals of Pulju, those 10 mines is 175,000t,” Ross said.
Ross is certain the “The demand for nickel sulphides, the
company’s position Class 1 nickel…that demand will reach
in northern Europe 2.4mt by 2040. The size of the entire nick-
will only boost its el market in 2020 was 2.4mt and around
snowy seasons, Ross explained Nordic access to downstream processing and 70% of that was going into the stainless
was fortunate in that regard. offtakers. steel industry, and just 6% was going into
“We’re not restricted by a ‘drilling sea- “Finland and Norway include the entire- batteries.
son’ as such,” he said. “The terrain is gen- ty of all the nickel smelting and refinery ca- “By the latest Wood Mackenzie forecast,
erally really easy to get to. It’s actually bet- pacity for Europe,” he said. “For us, it’s an for 2040, the total market will be about
ter to drill in winter because you can move easy path to market and Europe is set to 5.9mt nickel and 2.4mt of that will be going
the rigs around easier. be the biggest battery manufacturing hub into EVs and that has to be Class 1 nickel.
“The only factor we’re focused on is get- outside of China. You can get it from laterites, but it’s a much
ting the rig in there and the plan is once the “The interest just keeps coming through bigger carbon footprint. There’s a long way
rig is in there, we’ll leave it for 14 months and there’s a lot of OEMs and car manu- to go and a huge amount of nickel needed
straight. I met with the drilling contractor facturers following our story. Ultimately, to fill that gap.”
and they confirmed they’re happy to get they want to have a secure source of sus- – Fraser Palamara
the rig in and they’ll be able to service it tainable nickel that is traceable.”

nicoresources.com.au

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT OCTOBeR 2022 Page 105