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    Sulphur 418 May-Jun 2025

    3 May 2025

    Government looking to emulate Indonesia?

    PHILIPPINES

    Government looking to emulate Indonesia?

    The Philippine government is looking to follow Indonesia’s success in attracting downstream investment by banning the export of nickel ore. The Philippine Congress could ratify a bill banning raw mineral exports as early as June. The ban would come into force five years after approval to give miners time to build downstream processing plants. This development could potentially lead to higher nickel prices in the medium term if there is a delay to building domestic capacity and the Indonesian government becomes serious about restraining ore availability.

    After Indonesia, the Philippines is the largest producer of nickel ore on a mined basis. The country stepped up its exports of nickel ore following the Indonesia nickel ore bans in 2014 and 2021. The main market for Philippine nickel ore is China, where it is used to produce nickel pig iron.

    Latest in Asia

    LS MnM targets battery-materials growth with smelter-derived sulphuric acid

    South Korean metals producer LS MnM plans to use sulphuric acid recovered from copper-smelting operations to process nickel and cobalt for battery materials, linking its existing metals business with its expansion into the electric-vehicle supply chain. The company captures sulphur dioxide generated at its Onsan Smelter and converts it into sulphuric acid. LS MnM’s sulphuric-acid facilities have annual capacity of 1.925 million t/a, according to the company, providing a potential internal reagent source for hydrometallurgical processing.

    MoU on coal gasification

    Coal India Limited (CIL) says that it has executed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Private Limited (AMNS), to examine the use of syngas from a gasification facility which CIL would set up next to the ArcelorMittal’s Paradip pellet plant in Odisha state. The company says that it will be “exploring the possibility of utilising syngas produced from a coal gasification facility… coupled with CCUS.” The focus of the MoU will initially be to assess the technical, commercial, and implementation aspects of the project and to facilitate preparation of a preliminary feasibility report for evaluating project viability.