BHP has announced that the Nickel West operations and West Musgrave project (Western Australia Nickel) will be temporarily suspended from October 2024. BHP intends to review the decision to temporarily suspend Western Australia Nickel by February 2027.
What is nickel?
Nickel is a silvery white, naturally occurring metallic element with a light golden tinge. There are two main types of nickel deposits, laterite and sulphide, each requiring a different extraction technique.
Stainless steel
Electric vehicles
Versatility
How is nickel used?
Food and health
Stainless steel produced from nickel is used in a variety of home appliances, kitchen materials and medical instruments.
Industry
Nickel is used in process plants, oil and gas, power generation and chemical production.
Architecture
Nickel has many structural applications, like reinforcing concrete.
Transport
Nickel is a key ingredient in almost every form of transportation. This includes cars, trains and even the aerospace industry.
Electronics
You’ll find nickel in your everyday electronics including mobile phones, laptops and digital cameras.
Energy storage
Nickel is a key component in a range of renewable energy storage systems, including Lithium-ion batteries.
Nickel and electric cars
Batteries
Nickel is essential to the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles.
The key ingredient
A 60kwh NMC811 battery needs 5kg of cobalt, 5kg of manganese, 6kg of lithium and 39kg of nickel to function.
Longevity
When a battery has more nickel, a vehicle can operate for longer and drive further.
Where is nickel found?