Output to rise The world’s nickel production is expected to grow by 6.8 percent to reach some 2.427 million tonnes in 2021 after posting an esti-mated 4.2 percent decline last year. The decrease was predominantly due to the coronavirus-related lockdowns and restrictions, according to figures released by data analytics company GlobalData.
The company forecasts that “output from Indonesia (+16.3%), the Philip-pines (+5.1%) and Brazil (+24%) will be significant contributors to the overall growth this year. In contrast, production is expected to decline in Russia (-13.8%), and South Africa (-15.8%).”
Vinneth Bajaj, an associate project manager at GlobalData, said in a statement that “[o]verall, Indonesia and the Philippines will remain as the largest sources of nickel globally. Together with Russia, New Caledonia and Australia, these five countries account for almost three-quarters of the global total.”