Top 10: World's Largest Nickel Mines
By far the biggest consumer of nickel is the automotive sector, which uses it in batteries for electric vehicles. Nickel is also used extensively in the production of stainless steel, to which it gives strength. The aerospace industry, meanwhile, uses nickel-based superalloys in jet engines due to their ability to withstand high temperatures. It is used, too in electroplating, to provide a protective and decorative coating, while the chemical industry uses it as a catalyst in various processes, including the production of margarine and the refining of petroleum.
Indonesia has emerged as the world's largest producer of nickel, having significantly increased its output in recent years. The Philippines is another major producer, with substantial nickel ore exports.
Russia, through its mining company Norilsk Nickel, is another major player. Australia and Canada also maintain substantial nickel mining operations.
The following are the largest 10 nickel mines by annual tonnage.
10 Pakal Island Mine
Country: Indonesia
Annual tonnage: 36,000
Operator: Mining Industry Indonesia.
Pakal Island Mine, Indonesia, produces 36,000 tonnes of nickel annually. Mining Industry Indonesia operates the site. It’s a surface mine located in North Maluku.
09 Oktyabrsky Mine
Country: Russia
Annual tonnage: 36,000
Operator: MMC Norilsk Nickel
Russia’s Oktyabrsky Mine is an underground mine situated in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. The mine is expected to operate until 2052. Nornickel is the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel, and is also a major producer of platinum and copper.
08 Rio Tuba Mine
Country: Philippines
Annual tonnage: 39,000
Operator: Nickel Asia
The Rio Tuba Mine is a surface mine located in Palawan, Philippines. It is expected to operate until 2028. Nickel Asia is a major producer of lateritic nickel ore in the Philippines, and the Rio Tuba site exports both saprolite and limonite ore. Owner Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation is one of the three companies in the Philippines mining nickel oxide ores (the other two being Nonoc Mining and Industrial Corporation and Hinatuan Mining Company.
07 Cerro Matoso Mine
Country: Colombia
Annual tonnage: 41,000
Operator: South32
Located in Cordoba, Colombia, the Cerro Matoso Mine is owned by South32. The surface mine produced an estimated 40.8 thousand tonnes of nickel in 2023 and is expected to operate until 2036. South32 produces commodities including bauxite, alumina, aluminium, copper, silver, lead, zinc, nickel and manganese from operations in Australia, Southern Africa and South America.
06 Ambatovy Project
Country: Madagascar
Annual tonnage: 41,000
Operator: Sumitomo
The Ambatovy Project is a surface mine situated in Atsinanana, Madagascar. Owned by Sumitomo, it produced an estimated 40.95 thousand tonnes of nickel in 2023. The project is expected to continue operations until 2048.
05 PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt Project
Country: Indonesia
Annual tonnage: 42,000
Operator: Huayou Cobalt
The PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt Project is a high-pressure acid leach facility located in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is owned by Huayou Cobalt. It produced an estimated 42 thousand tonnes of nickel in 2023. Australian nickel developer Nickel Industries invested US$270mn in acquiring a 10% stake from Shanghai Decent Investment.
04 Sorowako Mine
Country: Indonesia
Annual tonnage: 64,000
Operator: Vale Indonesia
The Sorowako Mine is located in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is expected to operate until 2045. Vale Indonesia operates one of the world's largest integrated lateritic nickel mining and processing operations. Its annual production represents about 3 percent of total global nickel production.
03 Taganito Mine
Country: Philippines
Annual tonnage: 70,000
Operator: Nickel Asia
The Taganito Mine is a surface mine located in Surigao del Norte, Philippines. Owned by Nickel Asia, it produced an estimated 70.41 thousand tonnes of nickel in 2023. The mine is expected to operate until 2049.
02 PT Halmahera Persada Lygend Project
Country: Indonesia
Annual tonnage: 95,000
Operator: Ningbo Lygend Mining
PT Halmahera Persada Lygend is a nickel hydrometallurgy project utilising the high pressure acid leach process. Located on Obi Island, Indonesia, it has a designed production capacity of 120,000 metal tons of nickel-cobalt compounds – including 14,250 metal tons of cobalt – per annum when all production lines put into operation. The production lines are expected to produce nickel-cobalt compounds, including mixed hydroxide precipitate nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate.
