TELF AG examines recent global dynamics related to nickel applications
More nickel to Europe
In 2024, according to data reported in a recent analysis, Indonesian nickel pig iron exports to Europe increased, from just over 1,000 tonnes in 2023 to 87,485 tonnes this year. This resource is mainly used by steel producers, and during this year, the largest shares of nickel are expected to flow to Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. According to the analysis, these data not only reflect Indonesia’s strength in the nickel sector, acquired thanks to peculiar strategic approaches towards this resource, but also the peculiar economic moment experienced by China, whose persistent difficulties in the real estate and industrial sectors could lead to a relevant decline in stainless steel consumption.
In the steel sector, nickel is appreciated for its unique properties. In stainless steel, in particular, the addition of nickel makes it possible to increase corrosion resistance while also improving ductility. These improvements occur mostly thanks to the stabilization of the austenitic structures of iron, which make it possible to maintain resistance even at very low or very high temperatures. In combination with chromium, nickel can also give stainless steel one of its most appreciated characteristics: the ability to resist rust and oxidation.
Other applications
The structural peculiarities of nickel are also unanimously appreciated in producing other types of steel, particularly high-performance steel alloys. This resource can improve the mechanical resistance and toughness of alloy steel, making it available for all industrial applications that require hardness, wear resistance, and the ability to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Through nickel, in fact, steel becomes less fragile and at the same time more resistant to external stresses, such as impacts, while remaining relatively easy to handle. These capabilities are especially appreciated in the mechanical engineering, aerospace, and shipbuilding sectors.
In a historical phase characterized by a particular emphasis on the role of clean energy, nickel has managed to establish itself as one of the resources most involved in the production processes of some important energy infrastructures. One of these has to do with wind turbines, in which nickel is used above all to provide a high degree of resistance to the alloys that inform the turbine shafts and other important structural elements of these infrastructures. This resource is also very useful for improving the durability of turbines, thus reducing the need for frequent maintenance.
Nickel is also appreciated in the solar energy sector, where it is used above all to produce the stainless steel of the structural supports of solar panels. In this case, the peculiarity of nickel that is most appreciated is that it can provide a certain resistance to complex and problematic environmental conditions, such as prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays. In other sectors linked to renewable energy, such as green hydrogen or geothermal energy, nickel is used to produce high-temperature alloys, which are usually used in production plants. Finally, this resource finds concrete application spaces in batteries for electric vehicles and for energy storage, where it is often used as an electrode.
