Ni
🔩
Concentrate Grade 8–18% Ni
⚡
Battery Grade Class 1 · >99.8% Ni
🌍
Origin Tanzania · Sierra Leone
🔋
Critical Mineral EU · US · UK Designated
Home › Concentrates › Nickel Concentrates
Critical Mineral · Battery Supply Chain

Nickel
Concentrates

The essential feedstock for stainless steel and the energy transition.

United Metals produces and trades nickel sulphide and nickel laterite concentrates from operations in Tanzania and Sierra Leone — supplying the critical mineral feedstock that underpins global stainless steel production, superalloy manufacturing, and the rapidly expanding lithium-ion battery supply chain for electric vehicles and grid storage.

28
Ni
Nickel
58.69
Deposit Type A Nickel Sulphide
Deposit Type B Nickel Laterite
Key Minerals Pentlandite · Pyrrhotite
By-Products Cu · Co · PGMs
Concentrate Grade
8–18% Ni
Typical flotation concentrate Ni content
Global Ni Demand
0Mt
Annual refined nickel consumption (2024)
Battery Demand Share
0%
Nickel demand from EV batteries by 2030E
By-Products
3+
Recoverable metals: Cu · Co · PGMs
Source Countries
2
Tanzania & Sierra Leone operations
Product Overview

Nickel Concentrates:
What & Why

Nickel concentrates are the intermediate product between ore extraction and metal smelting — a beneficiated, high-nickel-content material produced at or near the mining site by separating nickel-bearing minerals from waste rock through flotation or other physical concentration methods. Concentrates typically contain 8–18% nickel by weight, dramatically reducing the mass and cost of transporting raw ore to smelting and refining facilities.

Nickel is one of the most strategically important metals in the global economy. As the primary alloying element in austenitic stainless steel — which accounts for approximately 70% of global nickel consumption — it provides the corrosion resistance, strength, and formability that make stainless steel indispensable across food processing, construction, medical, and chemical industries. Simultaneously, nickel's electrochemical properties make it the critical active cathode material in high-energy-density NMC and NCA lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage.

United Metals sources nickel concentrates from two distinct geological deposit types in sub-Saharan Africa — nickel sulphide deposits in Tanzania and nickel laterite deposits in Sierra Leone — providing product diversity across processing routes and end-user specifications.

Deposit Types

Two Geological Sources,
One Supply Programme

United Metals' nickel concentrate portfolio spans both primary deposit types — each with distinct mineralogy, processing routes, and end-use suitability.

01
Deposit Type 01 · Tanzania
Nickel Sulphide
Sulphide deposits host nickel as pentlandite [(Ni,Fe)₉S₈] and associated pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. These are the highest-value nickel deposits globally — the sulphide ore is amenable to conventional flotation, producing concentrates suitable for direct smelting to Class 1 nickel metal or matte. The sulphide processing route also recovers cobalt, copper, and platinum-group metals (PGMs) as economically significant by-products.
Pentlandite
Pyrrhotite
Chalcopyrite
Co · PGMs
02
Deposit Type 02 · Sierra Leone
Nickel Laterite
Laterite deposits form through tropical weathering of ultramafic (peridotite) basement rock — concentrating nickel as nickel-bearing goethite and smectite clay minerals in a layered oxide/silicate profile. Laterites represent over 60% of world nickel resources and are processed via hydrometallurgical routes (HPAL, heap leach) or pyrometallurgical routes (RKEF) to produce nickel hydroxide intermediate (MHP), ferronickel, or NPI for stainless steel directly.
Goethite
Limonite
Saprolite
MHP / NPI
Typical Specifications

Concentrate Quality & Parameters

Sulphide Concentrate
Ni Grade
10–18%
Cu
1–4%
Co
0.2–0.6%
Fe
25–38%
S
18–28%
Moisture
≤12%
PGMs
Trace (Au, Pd, Pt)
Delivery Form
Bulk slurry / dry
Laterite Concentrate
Ni Grade
1.5–3.5%
Co
0.05–0.15%
Fe
40–55% (limonite)
MgO
0.5–5% (saprolite)
SiO₂
5–40%
Moisture
25–35%
Process Route
HPAL / RKEF / MHP
Delivery Form
Bulk ore / pre-dried
Why United Metals

Supply Advantages

Advantage 01
Integrated Value Chain
From mine to smelter feedstock — United Metals controls the full chain, enabling consistent grade, reliable delivery schedules, and transparent provenance documentation.
Advantage 02
Dual Deposit Access
Access to both sulphide and laterite concentrates through a single counterparty — streamlining sourcing for smelters, refineries, and battery precursor manufacturers with diverse feedstock requirements.
Advantage 03
ESG-Compliant Supply
Full OECD Due Diligence documentation, environmental monitoring programmes, and community benefit frameworks — meeting the responsible sourcing requirements of EU battery regulation and OEM supply chain audits.
Advantage 04
Flexible Commercial Terms
Spot cargoes, quarterly programmes, and annual offtake frameworks — priced on LME Ni monthly average with TC/RC structures benchmarked to prevailing market conditions.
18%
MAX Ni
Sulphide Grade Range 8–18% Ni
Refined to Class 1 (>99.8% Ni) at receiving smelter — pellets, briquettes, or cathode form
Key Specifications
Ni Grade
8–18% (sulphide)
Ni Grade
1.5–3.5% (laterite)
Co Content
Up to 0.6%
Cu Content
Up to 4%
By-Products
Co · Cu · PGMs
Moisture
≤12% (sulphide)
Pricing Basis
LME Ni Monthly Avg
Terms
TC/RC · Spot / Term
Origin
Tanzania · Sierra Leone
Delivery
CIF / FOB · Negotiable
Key End-Use Markets
Stainless Steel — 70% of Ni demand · Type 300 series austenitic
EV Batteries — NMC 811 · NCA cathode active materials
Superalloys — Jet turbines · aerospace structural parts
Electroplating — Corrosion-resistant surface treatment
Alloy Steels — Tool steels · bearing steels
Nickel Concentrate Enquiry
How It's Made

Nickel Sulphide
Beneficiation Process

From disseminated pentlandite ore to high-grade bulk concentrate — the nickel sulphide flotation circuit is the gold standard for producing the premium-quality feedstock demanded by Class 1 nickel smelters and battery material manufacturers worldwide.

01
Stage 01
Crushing & Grinding
ROM ore from underground or open-pit workings is reduced in primary jaw and secondary cone crushers, then ground in SAG and ball mills to a P80 of 75–150 microns — liberating pentlandite grains from the enclosing silicate gangue. Optimal grind size balances liberation degree against over-grinding, which reduces flotation recovery.
Target P80: 75–150 µm
02
Stage 02
Flotation
Milled slurry enters a bulk sulphide flotation circuit — conditioning with xanthate collectors and MIBC frother to render sulphide mineral surfaces hydrophobic. Air-sparged flotation cells generate a mineralised froth that carries pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite to the concentrate launder. Scavenger and cleaner stages maximise nickel recovery and concentrate grade simultaneously.
Recovery: 85–92% Ni
03
Stage 03
Thickening & Filtration
Flotation concentrate pulp is thickened in high-rate thickeners to ~55–60% solids, then filtered on pressure or vacuum disc filters to produce a filter cake at 8–12% moisture. The filtrate and thickener overflow are returned to the process water circuit, minimising freshwater consumption and reagent loss in a closed water balance.
Product moisture: ≤12%
04
Stage 04
Assay, Dispatch & Export
Filter cake is sampled for multi-element fire assay and ICP analysis to determine Ni, Cu, Co, Fe, S, and penalty element content for settlement. Concentrate is trucked to the nearest port facility, stockpiled under cover, and loaded to bulk carrier for export to smelter. United Metals manages all shipping logistics, export documentation, and umpire assay coordination.
CIF / FOB · 5–7 day load
End-Use Markets

Five Sectors.
One Critical Metal.

Nickel's extraordinary combination of properties — corrosion resistance, high-temperature strength, magnetic characteristics, and electrochemical activity — makes it indispensable across the most demanding industrial and technological applications.

Sector 01
Stainless Steel
Nickel is the primary alloying element in austenitic stainless steel (Type 304, 316) — stabilising the austenite phase at ambient temperature to deliver corrosion resistance, formability, and weldability across food processing, architecture, medical devices, and chemical plant.
~70% of global nickel demand
Sector 02
EV Batteries
High-nickel NMC 811 and NCA cathode chemistries deliver the energy density required for 400+ km EV range. Each 100 kWh battery pack contains ~60–90 kg of nickel. Demand is forecast to grow at 20–25% CAGR through 2030 as global EV adoption accelerates under policy mandates and cost parity with ICE vehicles.
Fastest growing demand segment
Sector 03
Superalloys
Nickel-based superalloys (Inconel, Waspaloy, Hastelloy) retain tensile strength and oxidation resistance at temperatures above 1,000°C — making them the material of choice for jet turbine blades, disc rotors, and aerospace structural components where weight, heat, and stress combine to destroy other materials.
Defence · Aviation · Power generation
Sector 04
Electroplating
Electrolytic nickel plating deposits a thin, hard, corrosion- and wear-resistant nickel layer on steel, copper, and aluminium substrates — protecting everything from automotive trim and electronics connectors to industrial valves and hydraulic components. Nickel acts as both a functional coating and a barrier layer in multi-layer plating stacks.
Automotive · Electronics · Industrial
Sector 05
Alloy Steels & Cast Iron
Nickel additions to alloy and tool steels improve toughness, hardenability, and low-temperature performance — critical in bearing steels, gear steels, and pressure vessel steels for oil & gas applications. Ni-resist cast irons provide superior corrosion resistance for pumps and valves handling aggressive process fluids.
Oil & gas · Heavy engineering
From stainless steel kitchens
to electric vehicle batteries —
nickel is the metal of every era
— United Metals Nickel Concentrates
Market Intelligence

Nickel Market
Outlook & Dynamics

Nickel markets are undergoing a structural transformation — driven by the collision of traditional stainless steel demand with exponentially growing battery demand, against a backdrop of tightening supply from sulphide deposits and a geopolitically complex concentration of laterite production.

Demand Outlook · 2024–2030
40%
Demand Growth
Battery Demand Driving Structural Tightness
Global refined nickel demand is projected to grow by 35–45% between 2024 and 2030, with EV battery cathode materials accounting for the majority of incremental demand. The International Energy Agency projects nickel battery demand alone will reach 1.5 Mt by 2030 — equivalent to adding an entirely new stainless steel demand cycle on top of existing consumption.
EV Mandate Acceleration: EU 2035 ICE ban and US IRA credits locking in rapid EV adoption
Grid Storage: Stationary battery storage demand creating additional nickel pull beyond transport
Stainless Base: Asian stainless production maintaining steady 2–3% annual growth
Class 1 Premium: Growing price spread between battery-grade Class 1 and Class 2 nickel
Supply Structure · Critical Mineral Risk
75%
Indonesia
Sulphide Supply Declining; Concentration Risk Rising
Indonesia now accounts for over 50% of global mined nickel production — predominantly laterite ore processed to NPI and MHP via RKEF and HPAL. This concentration creates significant geopolitical and supply chain risk for Western battery manufacturers and stainless producers seeking to diversify away from a single-country dependency. Sulphide deposits, which produce the highest-quality Class 1 feedstock, are increasingly rare globally.
Sulphide Scarcity: Major sulphide deposits like Sudbury, Norilsk, and Kambalda are mature; few new discoveries
Critical Mineral Designation: EU, US, UK, and Australia have all listed nickel as a critical or strategic mineral
African Diversification: Sub-Saharan African sulphide projects represent the most prospective new supply pipeline
ESG Pressure: OEM and battery manufacturer supply chain audits driving premium for responsibly sourced African Ni
Source Nickel Concentrates

Responsibly Sourced.
Battery-Ready Supply.

United Metals supplies nickel sulphide and laterite concentrates from Tanzania and Sierra Leone — with full ESG compliance documentation, flexible delivery terms, and the operational depth of an integrated mining and processing group. Whether you are a nickel smelter, battery material precursor manufacturer, or trading house building a Class 1 supply programme, our team can structure a solution that meets your requirements.

Contact us to discuss grades, volumes, pricing structures, and long-term offtake agreements.

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