[SMM Nickel Flash] Nickel Industries: ENC Project Expected to Produce MHP in July and Refined Nickel in August

Published: Jun 18, 2026 15:54 (GMT+8)

Save

[Nickel Industries: ENC Project Expected to Produce MHP in July and Refined Nickel in August] On June 17, Nickel Industries provided an update on the operational status of its Indonesian projects. The commissioning of the Excelsior Nickel Cobalt HPAL (ENC) project is fully underway, with the limonite feed preparation plant having received its first ore in May. Next week, the acid plant will be ignited and the first of three autoclaves will be commissioned, after which the ore pipeline infrastructure will begin transporting the initial slurry between the Hengjaya Mine and the ENC smelter. The autoclave is expected to be fed in early July, and the smelter is anticipated to produce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) in mid-July. The refinery’s leaching circuit will start commissioning in late June utilizing MHP inventory, and refined nickel is projected to become available in mid-August—enabling ENC’s refined nickel to be registered with the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE).

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 for 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

4 hours ago

[SMM Analysis] Weak Demand and Rising Substitution Advantage Push High-Grade NPI Price Center Downward

[SMM Analysis: Weak Demand and Rising Substitution Advantage Drag Down High-Grade NPI Price Center] The average price of SMM 10-12% high-grade NPI fell 7.9 yuan/nickel unit WoW to 1,029.4 yuan/nickel unit (ex-factory, tax included). The average price of the Indonesian NPI FOB index fell 0.7 $/nickel unit WoW to 133.2 $/nickel unit. This week, the high-grade NPI market continued to drift lower, with the price center moving down steadily and bearish sentiment intensifying.

4 hours ago

5 hours ago

[SMM Analysis] Downside Risks for Cobalt Salt Prices Remain, Nickel Intermediate Product Payables Stay Weak This Week

5 hours ago

[SMM Nickel Flash] Indonesia Approves Revised 2026 RKAB Nickel Ore Production Quota of Approximately 290 Million Tonnes

According to Tri Winarno, Director General of Minerals and Coal at Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the Indonesian government has approved a revised 2026 RKAB nickel ore production quota of approximately 290 million tonnes Previously, the Indonesian government had initially set the 2026 RKAB nickel ore production target at around 250–260 million tonnes.

5 hours ago