This eBook explores the emerging role of nickel in the electric vehicle and renewable energy industry and highlights Queensland Pacific Metals’ nickel production capabilities.
Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM) aims to be a significant and reliable supplier of elite-ESG battery metals for the electric vehicle industry.
This will occur via the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) Project, which will be a modern and sustainable battery materials refinery, processing high-grade laterite ore imported from New Caledonia to produce nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate, as well as other valuable co-products.
QPM has already secured offtake agreements for 100% of nickel and cobalt sales for the life of the project. In addition to being offtake partners General Motors, LG Energy Solutions, and POSCO are also investment partners with a significant shareholding in QPM. The TECH Project has a nameplate production of 16kt nickel metal contained in nickel sulphate and 1.75kt cobalt metal contained in cobalt sulphate.
QPM has also secured AUD1.4bn of conditional debt to fund the TECH Project.
The TECH Project will revolutionise the nickel industry
Based on an ISO-compliant life cycle assessment conducted by Minviro, the TECH Project will have a net negative carbon impact of 989,000 CO2e, meaning their operations will reduce Australia’s carbon footprint. This is a globally leading example of ESG excellence in nickel and cobalt production.
In addition to being negative carbon, the TECH Project is revolutionising the resources sector by becoming a zero solids waste operation. After leaching valuable metals into solution and refining them into saleable products, the remaining residue is only 25% of the dry ore feed. This residue, made up of silicates including quartz sand, has been found to have structural properties suitable for engineered fill.
The company is in the process of obtaining an End of Waste Code, which would reclassify the residue as a saleable resource.
