Turkish Billionaire Yildirim Invests $2 Billion in Nickel Mines to Reduce West's Reliance on China

Published: Apr 23, 2025 18:19

Save

Turkish billionaire Robert Yuksel Yildirim is investing $2 billion to acquire nickel mines, aiming to capitalize on a future price rebound and growing Western demand to reduce reliance on China. After creating CoreX Holding by spinning off his family’s chrome and shipping businesses, he has already invested $500 million into nickel assets, including a majority stake in a mine in Ivory Coast and ferronickel plants in North Macedonia and Kosovo.

Yildirim plans to revitalize high-cost assets by improving operations and focusing on higher-grade nickel. He is negotiating the acquisition of six additional mines in Colombia, Guatemala, and Africa, and intends to build a vertically integrated supply chain from extraction to shipping.

Initially targeting European and U.S. stainless steel markets, he also plans to expand into battery-grade nickel and other metals like copper, gold, and zinc. To finance the expansion, he is seeking backing from sovereign wealth funds and private equity. Entering as others exit, Yildirim aims to offer the West a strategic alternative to China’s dominance in critical minerals.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

1 hour ago

High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline

[SMM Nickel Flash News] Based on the cash cost of high-grade NPI calculated using nickel ore prices from 25 days earlier, profits at high-grade NPI smelters came under pressure during the week, with the sector as a whole remaining in a state of losses or marginal profitability. It is expected that next week, prices of auxiliary materials on the raw material side may remain flat, while the decline in nickel ore prices will likely be limited. High-grade NPI prices will still be under pressure amid back-and-forth negotiations between upstream and downstream, and smelter profits will be unlikely to see any significant improvement.

1 hour ago

Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue

[SMM Nickel Flash] This week, the price center of refined nickel moved lower, while high-grade NPI prices remained stable. The average discount of high-grade NPI against refined nickel narrowed to 262.4 yuan/nickel unit. High-grade NPI prices were expected to remain under pressure next week, while refined nickel prices were expected to continue their downward trend. The average discount of high-grade NPI against refined nickel was expected to continue narrowing, and the driver for conversion of NPI to high-grade nickel matte weakened.

1 hour ago

SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase

[SMM Nickel Flash] The average SMM price of 10-12% high-grade NPI fell WoW by 1 yuan/nickel unit to 1,082.5 yuan/nickel unit (ex-factory, tax included), while the average price of Indonesia's NPI FOB index fell WoW by $0.02/nickel unit to $136.58/nickel unit. The high-grade NPI market generally remained stable, and after the transaction center stabilized, the market entered a state of back-and-forth negotiations between upstream and downstream, with prices under pressure in the short term.

1 hour ago