[summit practical information] data summary of global nickel and stainless steel resource distribution, output and application fields

SMM7: July 20, the "2020 China Ni-Cr stainless Steel Industry Market and Application Development Forum" was held by SMM in Wuxi. At the meeting, Song Quanming, the chief representative of the International Nickel Association in China, explained the nickel application to promote green and sustainable development, and made a comprehensive summary of the global nickel and stainless steel resource distribution, output and application field detailed data.

Production and Application of Nickel

Production and use of primary nickel Primary nickel production and usage 2009-2019

2019 Global Nickel Market:

Global demand grew by 3.2 per cent in 2019, driven by 10.8 per cent growth in Chinese consumption.

Consumption in japan fell by 9.9 per cent, while demand in Europe fell by 6.4 per cent. Consumption in the Americas also fell by 5.9% compared with 2018.

Primary use of nickel in 2019:

Stainless steel is the largest market for nickel, accounting for 70%. Batteries are still an important area and are developing rapidly.

Global primary use of nickel-region

Asia accounts for 75% of first-time use of nickel

Proportion and growth of primary use of nickel

G.R stainless steel 8.4%G.R alloy and castings; 1.5% Bing G.R nickel and copper base alloy 1.9% Trent G.R plating 2.9% Trent G.R battery 10.6% Trent G.R powder metallurgy 3.8%

Growth in various application areas of nickel in the global region

China offers high growth opportunities in all areas; the growth rate represents a high level of understanding of sector opportunities in all regions and therefore needs to be combined with country-specific megatrends.

Nickel resources and stainless steel

Nickel available resources can meet the growing demand. The base of nickel reserves is about 600 million tons on sea and land and 296 million tons on land.

China is the world's largest producer of stainless steel, and more than half of all stainless steel produced is made in China.

Global production scale of stainless steel in 2019

More than half of all stainless steel produced belong to 300 series.

Nickel promotes sustainable development-low-carbon economy

New energy sources

Environmental protection

Traffic-electric vehicle

Green building

Water supply

Food, Hygiene, Medical (COVID19)

Application Prospect of Nickel

Important low carbon technology

Focus on energy and emission control

Renewable, clean and new energy: wind energy, solar energy, fusion energy, water, biomass, geothermal energy, biofuels, waste and hydrogen, etc.

Energy efficiency: ultra-supercritical boilers, power plants, onshore gas turbines, etc.

Reduce carbon emissions: flue gas desulfurization, ship washing tower, carbon capture and storage, etc.

Low-carbon life, energy saving: water, transportation, green buildings, industrial infrastructure, agriculture and so on.

Carbon capture technology CCS

CCS technical facilities-severe corrosion, high temperature and high pressure, nickel-containing special alloys are essential.

Flue gas desulphurization, marine washing tower

Harsh corrosion environment, application of stainless steel, austenitic and dual-phase, nickel-based corrosion resistant alloys 316317904L ·C276

Green Traffic-Electric vehicle

Cathode material for Li-ion battery, NMC,NCA

Green building

Designs with a service life of more than 75 years avoid changing materials, use only high content of recyclable or renewable materials, reduce building energy consumption, reduce drinking water consumption, collect and reuse ash water, indoor water treatment, avoid toxic runoff, healthy and efficient indoor environment, low emission materials.

Stainless steel water supply service network

For stainless steel in water distribution pipes, one solution is partially corrugated stainless steel service pipes. 316L SS is used in Japan (21 cities) and Taiwan (4 cities). 304SS is used in Korea (7 cities)

Food, hygiene, medical treatment

COVID19- highlights the importance of food, medical and hygiene, stainless steel is a good material and suitable choice for food contact applications, and the pharmaceutical industry relies on stainless steel and nickel alloys to ensure that strict requirements such as product purity are met.

About 30% of the end-use of stainless steel is related to the food industry. Including fields, farms, food production, packaging, transportation, food retail, restaurants, fast food, and consumer goods. Food safety is the basic requirement of the food industry. The application of stainless steel is dominant. The use of stainless steel in the pharmaceutical industry is relatively small, but it is critical. Sometimes it is also included in the statistics of the chemical industry. Will involve all kinds of ordinary and high alloy stainless steel as well as nickel alloy.

Technology roadmap for low-carbon economy

Nickel plays an important role in many low-carbon technologies, whether it is nickel substitution in key applications or providing the most cost-effective value.

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