Sibanye-Stillwater is looking for potential sources of nickel feed material for its Sandouville processing plant in France to produce battery-grade metal.
Sibanye’s spokesperson James Wellsted said that the company may choose New Caledonia based Prony Resources or Indonesian producers as suppliers for the plant.
According to Reuters, Prony is part of the loss-making nickel industry in New Caledonia and it has been seeking investors for the business, which comprises a nickel mine and hydrometallurgical processing plant. While Prony has said it may sell a majority stake, Wellsted argued Sibanye is not looking at acquisitions at the moment.
Sibanye’s plans include a conversion of the Sandouville plant to produce higher-grade material for green energy and battery sectors, however, it needs to select a supplier first to make suitable adjustments to its production line. A team from Sibanye is currently in New Caledonia to study Prony as a potential supplier, Wellsted added.
"Part of the feasibility is trying to identify where you're going to get the mixed hydroxide precipitate, which is the feedstock for the battery metal production at Sandouville," he concluded.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
