RE: Nickel prices1 Apr 2021 22:20
The Vermehlo PFS highlights the 'premium' for battery Grade (Class 1). Sometimes it is narrow, sometimes it is greater. PFS suggested a 2k difference. Nickel is priced in 100% terms and your product output can be expressed in 100% terms to get picture of income vs the Nickel price on LME, however Araguaia is selling a FerroNickel product with circ 28% nickel content. That will be a different price than LME that you see. So that goes onto there are LOTS of Nickel prices depending on the quality of the product and the Nickel content of it. So Ferro is more expensive than NPI. But even Ferro terms there are different grades of quality and Nickel content.
2. Tsingshan product will command a premium over the NPI they produce but may not get the highest Class 1 pricing because well it isn't a class 1 quality source, so Tier 1 battery producers may not use it and Tier 1 battery suppliers supplying Western OEMs will not use it for ESG reasons alone. The Indonesians and the Chinese will probably use it regardless. It is not cheap to make though never mind the awful carbon loading required. So it will be in the Sulphate pricing bracket but not a premium product within that bracket.
Same for the likes of Lithium, not all lithium is equal, even batches oof Spodumene Concentrate. 5.5% through to 6.3% can be converted to Hydroxide but you'll get more for 6.3%, then how pure is it, needs to have minimium impurities and especially low in Iron. So, even 2 x 6.2% can have a different price, or premium paid by a Tier 1 for the more pure material.