⚙️ Nickel: a metal far more present than you might think

Once extracted, nickel is processed and ends up everywhere in our daily lives. Its main use is in the manufacture of stainless steel and specific alloys, which account for over 80% of primary nickel consumption. It is nickel that gives stainless steel its exceptional properties: heat resistance, corrosion protection, and rust prevention. These are essential qualities for both domestic use and in the medical, food processing, industrial, chemical, construction, transportation, and energy production sectors.

Today, we hear a lot about nickel in batteries. Computers, phones, electric cars… To increase their range, these batteries need to store more energy. Nickel, particularly in lithium-ion batteries, plays a key role in enabling electric vehicles to travel ever greater distances. The same principle applies to renewable energy storage — a major technological, economic, and environmental challenge that represents approximately 20% of global nickel demand.

As a strategic metal for the energy transition, nickel is a resource of the future for producing territories like New Caledonia, which holds approximately 5% of the world’s reserves. Better understanding its many uses also means better grasping the challenges and opportunities it represents for our economic and social development.

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