Nickel Treasure Trove: China Secured the Technical Know-How Ahead of the West

They made necessary adjustments to the process—for instance, switching to a cheaper titanium-based material. They also adopted a technology to reduce the moisture content of the final nickel product, thereby improving efficiency. Tsingshan further partnered with Chinese companies to manufacture low-cost versions of Western equipment. At the time, Japanese and Western firms remained cautious, concerned about excessively high costs and potential environmental pollution. In 2019, a pump failure at a Chinese-operated plant in Papua New Guinea caused slurry to overflow into nearby water bodies. Yet this incident seemingly did not slow progress on the Indonesian project—a joint venture between Tsingshan and Indonesian mining company Harita Nickel. The first two production lines of this project were completed and commissioned in 2021, operating at full capacity. Tsingshan did not reinvent the wheel; instead, the team focused on streamlining plant design and maximizing automation to minimize errors. “We actually learned from these failed projects, analyzed their shortcomings, and implemented improvements.” Subsequently, a wave of HPAL (High-Pressure Acid Leaching) plants operated by Chinese entities emerged in Indonesia—currently at least four such facilities are operational, with three more expected to come online by the end of next year. Western miners claim Chinese firms enjoy unfair advantages, citing access to cheap government loans and disregard for labor rights and environmental protection. In Indonesia, Chinese companies have built numerous coal-fired power plants to fuel their nickel rush—contradicting global efforts to phase out this highly polluting fossil fuel. These projects have also been marred by multiple fatal accidents, including an explosion last December at a nickel smelter in Sulawesi, Indonesia, which killed at least 19 workers. Yet many Western miners and analysts acknowledge that Chinese mining companies have achieved major breakthroughs in HPAL technology—and excel at mineral processing. “The most telling example is how they rapidly brought Indonesian nickel projects online using a technology historically known for instability.” China’s success has reshaped the industry landscape: massive new supply from China accelerated the collapse of nickel and cobalt prices, driving Western competitors out of business. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the share of global nickel supply produced by Chinese enterprises—both domestically and overseas—has surged from 34% in 2015 to 58% this year. Unable to compete with low-cost Chinese products, nickel and cobalt mines in Australia, French New Caledonia, Brazil, and the United States have either shut down or face imminent closure. Australian mining giant BHP announced in July this year that it would suspend its nickel operations in Western Australia, anticipating continued large-scale influxes of cheap nickel into the market. German chemical company BASF and French mining firm Eramet had signed an agreement in 2020 to jointly build an HPAL plant in eastern Indonesia—but both companies canceled the plan this year. If you want to read the following magazines or more newspapers and magazines please chat with kingmember_sf （+V）for more informations

Corporate News | World’s Largest Mining Company: Net Profit Exceeds RMB 38 Billion in Six Months; Copper Surpasses Iron Ore as the Top Profit Driver

News from March 2026: BHP—the world’s largest mining company and top copper producer—announced that Brandon Craig, President of its Americas region, will officially assume the role of CEO on July 1, succeeding Mike Henry, who steps down on June 30. In recent years, BHP has fully exited the oil and gas business, optimized its coal portfolio, and accelerated its strategic pivot toward future-oriented commodities such as copper and potash. For the first half of fiscal year 2026 (the six months ended December 31, 2025), the group reported revenue of USD 27.902 billion and net profit of USD 5.64 billion (approximately RMB 38.8 billion), representing year-on-year growth of 10.83% and 27.72%, respectively. Notably, copper operations—including associated by-products—generated operating earnings of USD 7.95 billion, accounting for 51% of total profits—surpassing iron ore (USD 7.5 billion) for the first time in history to become the group’s largest profit contributor. Public records show that BHP was formed in 2001 through the merger of Australia’s Broken Hill Proprietary Company and Netherlands-based Billiton. The former was founded in 1885 and engaged in silver and lead mining in western New South Wales; the latter was established on September 29, 1860, in The Hague, Netherlands, focusing on non-ferrous metal mining. The group employs over 90,000 people—including contractors—and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It operates more than 50 mines across 25 countries, producing iron ore, copper, nickel, potash, coking coal, and other commodities, with business activities spanning over 90 countries and regions worldwide. China is BHP’s most important and strategically vital global market. As early as 1891 (the 17th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign in the Qing Dynasty), BHP exported 52 tons of lead to China—the cargo was shipped from New South Wales, Australia, and arrived at Fuzhou Port. Over the past four decades, BHP has exported over 3 billion tons of iron ore to China. Iron ore is a critical raw material for steelmaking. BHP ranks second in Australia and third globally among iron ore producers. Its iron ore assets are concentrated in two regions: Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) and Samarco in Brazil.

BHP Sells Shuttered Australian Nickel Plant to Gold Fields

Oct 6, 2026

BHP Group sold its shuttered Kambalda nickel plant to Gold Fields Ltd. after taking a $2.5 billion impairment on nickel assets due to global oversupply and plunging prices.

bloomberg

2026-07-10

BHP Explores Sale of Chilean Desalination Plant, Power Lines

2026-07-15

BHP misses quarterly copper output estimates, flags lower Chilean production

2026-10-06

BHP Sells Shuttered Australian Nickel Plant to Gold Fields

BHP Sells Shuttered Australian Nickel Plant to Gold Fields

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