Nickel ore inventories at Chinese ports fell 100,000 wmt on week

On September 29, Indonesia's nickel ore market remained stable, with prices for major grades unchanged: 1.2% Ni: $26.5/wmt, unchanged 1.3% Ni: $28.5/wmt, unchanged 1.4% Ni: $51.8/wmt, unchanged 1.5% Ni: $58.5/wmt, unchanged 1.6% Ni: $63.4/wmt, unchanged Market sources said additional 2026 RKAB quotas are gradually being approved and released, although the total additional quota has yet to be officially announced. Market attention is increasingly shifting from quota approvals to actual mine production and nickel ore shipments.

PT Sulawesi Cahaya Mineral (SCM) inaugurated a 60-km Main Hauling Road (MHR) on September 16, connecting its nickel mining area and stockpile in Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, with nickel processing facilities in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. The dedicated route is designed for heavy vehicles and trucks transporting nickel ore and other mining materials, allowing SCM to conduct hauling operations through its own road network rather than relying on public roads. According to SCM's Head of Mining Engineering, ore will be transported from the company's Konawe mining operations to Morowali on a daily basis. The MHR was constructed in two stages. The first 20-km section was completed between 2021 and 2023, while construction of the remaining section began in late 2023 and was completed in September 2026. SCM said the completed route is expected to improve control, safety, efficiency and reliability in ore transportation between its mining and processing operations.

According to SMM data, on September 29, the SMM average price of battery-grade nickel sulphate fell by 115 yuan/mt from the previous day.