SMM CoLiNi Summit: Electric car battery offers huge space for nickel

SHANGHAI, Apr 12 (SMM) – The ratio of nickel used in electric car batteries is expected to rise to 11% by 2022, from just under 4% in 2016, according to Macquarie Bank analyst Zhao Yingxiang.

She added that the nickel supply-demand landscape will change dramatically if the ratio hit 15% by 2025, she said at the SMM CoLiNi Summit in Quzhou, Zhejiang province on Thursday April 12.  

Nickel prices have climbed from $8,000/mt in 2016 to a high of $14,150/mt, supported by short supply and increasing demand over the past two years. Nickel ore export policies in the Philippines and Indonesia have been the main drivers of growth.

If prices remain above $13,000/mt, supply may grow with project restarts or more investment, Zhao said.

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