The Top Eight Nations In The World With Nickel Reserves

Gap Teks - Following the election debate last week, where vice presidential candidate number two Gibran Rakabuming Raka accused his opponent, candidate number one Muhaimin Iskandar, of being anti-nickel, nickel has become a hot topic in Indonesia. Iskandar's campaign team co-captain, Thomas Lembong, frequently asserted that nickel was losing ground to lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) in the global electric vehicle market.

The argument over nickel persisted, particularly as it relates to EV batteries. A number of ministers questioned Lembong's comments and supported President Jokowi's oldest son. Among them are Muhammad Lutfi, the former Trade Minister, Bahlil Lahadalia, the Minister of Investment, and Luhut Pandjaitan, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

Nations With The Biggest Deposits Of Nickel In The World

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) 2021 study states that the world's greatest nickel deposits are found in eight nations. About 600 million metric tons of nickel are stored worldwide, of which 40% are in sulfide deposits and 60% are in laterites.

Even still, output of nickel increased to just 2.7 million metric tons from 2.51 million metric tons the year before.

The top eight nations in the world with the biggest deposits of nickel are as follows:

Indonesia

Approximately 21 million metric tons of nickel are found in Indonesia. The fourth most populated nation in the world produced one million metric tons of nickel in 2021, up 229,000 metric tons from 771,000 metric tons the year before. Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua are among the eastern regions that contain the majority of the nickel.

Australia

At least 21 million metric tons of nickel are found in Australia. The amount of minerals produced in 2021 was around 160,000 metric tons, compared to 169,000 metric tons in 2020. 90% of the nickel in the nation comes from Western Australia, with 5% coming from Queensland and 4% from New South Wales.

Brazil

Just 100,000 metric tons of the at least 16 million metric tons of nickel deposits in Brazil were dredged in 2021. With 41,734 metric tons produced from mines in the Brazilian state of Goias, the highest nickel output in 2021 was followed by Para (19,090 metric tons) and Bahia (15,180 metric tons).

Russia

Russia has the second-largest nickel reserves. An estimated 7.5 million metric tons of nickel are present in the nation, which is at war with Ukraine. It is said to have extracted 250,000 metric tons of nickel in 2021.

The Philippines

With 4.8 million metric tons of nickel deposits, the Philippines and Indonesia together possess the greatest nickel reserves in Southeast Asia. The nation produced more nickel in 2021 than it did in 2020, going from 334,000 metric tons to 370,000 metric tons.

China

It is estimated that China possesses 2.8 million metric tons of nickel. In 2020 and 2021, the nation under President Xi Jinping's leadership was able to produce about 120,000 metric tons of nickel. With 62% of the country's nickel produced, Ganzu province leads the other provinces in terms of production: Xinjiang (11.6%), Yunnan (8.9%), Jilin (4.4%), Hubei (3.4%), and Sichuan (3.3%).

Canada

Two million metric tons of nickel are discovered in Canada, according to the US Geological Survey. But in 2020 and 2021, the nation produced a mere 167,000 metric tons and 130,000 metric tons, respectively. In Canada, the main locations for nickel are Sudbury, Ontario; other locations include Manitoba and Voisey's Bay, Labrador.

United States

Among the top eight nations in the world with the biggest reserves of nickel is the United States. The nation produced 16,700 metric tons of nickel in 2020 and 18,000 metric tons in 2021, with a total reserve of 340,000 metric tons. Its nickel mining were limited to Michigan.

Source: Tempo.co