Local battery material champions planning first-mover advances into new geographies – by Martin Creamer (MiningWeekly.com – March 15, 2021)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s team of local battery material champions are planning first-mover advances into new geographies.

Mining Weekly can today report that Thakadu Battery Materials, which is producing high-purity battery-grade nickel sulphate for export, has a pipeline of new projects in place that will involve the use of the locally developed intellectual property, proven process technology and first-mover advantage to fast-track other assets under development in Southern Africa and North America.

In what is a huge story of world-class local innovation, Thakadu, operating as a completely independent startup, has succeeded in turning platinum group metal- (PGM-) linked nickel solution into sought-after battery material that is helping to make the world a greener place.

Thakadu’s newly commissioned $20-million nickel sulphate refinery in North West province receives the nickel solution from the base metals refinery (BMR) of PGMs mining company Sibanye-Stillwater and then removes the solution’s impurities down to parts-per-million levels through advanced chemistry.

The cathode battery material it produces is already fetching premium prices in major global export markets.

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