http://www.miningjournal.net/ [Michigan]
MARQUETTE – The business of producing nickel is in good shape, Michael Welch, general manager of Lundin Mining Corp.’s Eagle Mine, told the Economic Club of Marquette County Monday.
Welch was the guest speaker at the club’s monthly program at the Ramada Inn. He joined Eagle Mine in January 2014, coming from Xstrata’s Raglan operation, a large nickel mine in northern Quebec situated in subarctic conditions and facing challenges similar to Eagle.
Eagle Mine in Michigamme Township – a Lundin subsidiary – employs more than 400 people and is producing nickel, copper and small amounts of other metals over its expected duration of eight years.
“Short term, nickel has a very good supply-and-demand outlook,” said Welch, who noted 2015 will be a transition year as demand for nickel will outstrip supply. “Bottom line is, nickel’s going to be a good place to be.”
Laptops, cell phones – items used by just about everybody in the room, according to an impromptu poll by Welch – use nickel battery technology, he pointed out.
“Even Tesla is going to produce 500,000 cars by the year 2020 using a lithium-ion battery,” he said. “That battery weighs 909 pounds.”
The battery will not be efficient without more than 50 pounds of nickel per battery, Welch said.
Also, alternative energy will rely on nickel as well, he said, as wind turbines use the metal.
“So, in order to get to alternative energy, you still need nickel,” Welch said. “You still need metals. We need metals in society for the time being until somebody figures out otherwise.”
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