China’s annual “two sessions” gives an indication of China’s broad policy direction for the year, covering topics from the economy to industrial strategy to environmental protection. David Chen explains the highlights, and the implications for the nickel value chain.
Nickel can be found in many forms from nanowires to stainless steel alloys. But what are the properties of nickel that make it an essential element in batteries?
Green hydrogen has almost unlimited potential as a replacement for fossil fuels and will be an essential contributor to getting to net-zero. Nickel-containing stainless steel is a sustainable companion on the path to a climate neutral future.
As industries around the globe work to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, there is also effort to prevent its escape into the atmosphere by sequestering it. These technologies are known as carbon, capture and storage.
The elite members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened in Beijing, in October 2022 for their 20th Congress. Since the congress there has been a frenzy of media coverage and in-depth analysis of the implications of the resulting Congressional Work Report. David Chen unravels what it means for nickel.
The 4th update of the Nickel Institute’s Safe use of Nickel in the Workplace has been published. It has been revised to help companies using nickel keep up with the latest health and environment knowledge of this resource element which is important for a wide range of applications.
Major economies across the globe are setting climate neutrality targets. But proper measurement and methodologies are needed to provide transparency and common benchmarks when assessing carbon footprint. At a recent event in China, there was general consensus on the importance of adopting a harmonized approach to carbon footprint calculation and disclosure.
In 2021, China instigated its 14th Five-year Plan. Under the Plan, the country aims to move from an era of rapid economic growth towards improving its economic structure and the standard of living of the Chinese people.
The many new and innovative applications of hydrogen as fuel show great promise for a greener future.
As electric vehicles (EVs) trend from being niche to mass scale and the lines between EVs and their combustion engine (ICE) counterparts get blurred in terms of usability, consumers, automakers, governments and fire departments continue to have some apprehensions.
The present-day principal driver in the Li-ion industry is the large batteries required for electric vehicles. Due to the size of these batteries and the relative growth of electric vehicles it is predicted that the total Li-ion energy capacity will exceed one tera watt-hour by 2030. This anticipation for a dramatically rapidly expanding industry has stakeholders all along the value chain very motivated to be ready.
The last three months have been unprecedented. But amidst the chaos and despite the drop in global GDP, there has still been a considerable amount of activity in the electric vehicle (EV) and battery world.
New energy legislation is set to optimize China’s energy structure and boost the use of non-fossil energy. Aligning with China’s regulatory agenda, nickel will play a vital role in tomorrow’s world powered by cleaner energy.
Ever-tightening sulphur oxide (SOx) emission regulations are increasing the use of marine scrubbers globally. Scrubbers operate in a highly corrosive environment and require the resilience of nickel-containing alloys to prevent failure.
The electric vehicle market is expected to be by far the largest and most dominant market for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Despite the strong desire to increase EV sales by all involved in the value chain, proliferation has been curbed due to the high cost to the consumer and the perceived disadvantages of owning an EV. Range anxiety, a lack of charging stations and fire safety worries, are among the top concerns.
Most nickel production is destined for stainless steel. But a significant 8% is used in the production of alloy steels which are needed to deliver specific characteristics for specialised and often critical applications.