2023 Nickel Market Deep-Dive with Experts Alex Laugharne and Martin Turenne (Hosted by Brian Leni)
Listen to a nickel market deep dive with experts Alex Laugharne of the CRU Group and Martin Turenne of FPX Nickel hosted by investor Brian Leni of JuniorStockReview.com.
The nickel price has fluctuated immensely in 2022, driven by geopolitics and a very real influx of new production out of Indonesia. In this interview, we discuss the impacts of Indonesia’s entry into the Class #1 nickel market via HPAL and laterite matte production.
These processes are economic, but come with a higher carbon footprint than the class #1 nickel produced from nickel sulphides – does it matter? While the battery market grabs most of the attention, the nickel market is still very much driven by stainless steel. Alex Laugharne takes us through the fundamentals of the stainless steel market. Further, security of supply and higher metal prices leads manufacturers to look for substitutions. Nickel is no different, both Alex and Martin discuss where battery technology is headed and how nickel may be affected. Finally, Laugharne takes us through CRU’s outlook for nickel in 2023 – bullish or bearish?
0:00 Introduction
1:14 Overview of the current and future role Indonesia is playing in the global nickel market
5:00 What Percentage of the Indonesian production feeds China?
8:21 After many years of missed production targets and budgets, is HPAL technology becoming any more reliable?
13:22 In the future will we see traceability, linked to carbon footprint, become a limiting factor in battery manufacturing?
18:43 Will battery manufacturers be driven into investment in the miners by the market hitting a certain EV adoption percentage?
21:55 Stainless Steel production in 2022 and 2023?
23.40 U.S. Inflation Reduction Act – spending in renewable and EV adoption incentives
27:29 ICE & EV: cost parity or total cost that will dictate the market?
30:52 How big of a threat is substitution or alternative battery chemistry to nickel?
35:15 Outlook for nickel in 2023?
