Japanese battery giant Panasonic Energy is looking to secure sufficient nickel supply with new processing technologies that it plans to co-develop with an Australian national science agency.
Panasonic partners with CSIRO for tech development
According to the press release, Panasonic Energy partnered with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO to explore and develop new nickel laterite processing technologies to recover Ni.
As we already know, nickel is a crucial raw material in li-ion battery production. This new partnership enables Panasonic and CSIRO to establish the foundation for the future application of Australian nickel laterite resources.
The partnership will leverage CSIRO’s expertise in mineral processes, while Panasonic will bring its extensive knowledge of battery materials to the table.
Panasonic and CSIRO primarily aim to develop an affordable, low-environmental impact raw material and supply chain.
Strengthening Panasonic’s position in the EV battery market
As more automakers shift to electric vehicle production, apprehensions about a global nickel shortage have emerged over the past few years.
For context, a key challenge in producing li-ion batteries with nickel-based cathodes is securing a sufficient supply of high-purity Class 1 stock from nickel sulfate.
Unlike the lower-grade nickel used in stainless steel, battery production demands this specific type of nickel sulfate with extremely high purity.
The new partnership with CSIRO may help Panasonic evade the anticipated shortage of nickel-based cathodes for li-ion batteries.
Australia’s potential to become a key nickel industry player
While countries like Indonesia currently dominate nickel manufacturing, Australia houses the world’s second-largest reserves of the mineral.
Its substantial lateritic reserves can help it become a strong player in nickel production, especially considering the growing global demand for li-ion batteries.
Beyond Panasonic’s self-interests, the initiative can also solidify the Australian nickel industry and secure high-quality nickel resources to fulfill the global demands for battery production amid the shift to electric mobility.
