PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, one of the world's largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel, as well as one of the largest producers of platinum and copper, and the British fine chemicals company, Johnson Matthey, have signed the terms of a deal on long-term supplies of critical metals for the Johnson Matthey plant under construction in Finland.
Earlier in April, Norilsk Nickel plans to expand sustainable nickel and cobalt production at its plant in Finland – NN Harjavalta – in response to growing demand in Europe for high quality and responsibly sourced metals for battery components, including batteries for electric vehicles. The NN Harjavalta product range will play an important role in meeting Johnson Matthey's requirements for the production of precursors and cathode active materials in Finland and at the company's existing plant in Poland.
Johnson Matthey has announced the development of its second commercial facility in Finland with a capacity of 30 000 tonnes of ultra-high energy cathode materials required by electric vehicle manufacturers. The plant is equipped with an innovative wastewater treatment solution and will operate exclusively on renewable energy sources.
Norilsk Nickel and Johnson Matthey also signed a memorandum of understanding to explore opportunities to further expand metal supplies in the future. The parties intend to collaborate on important supply chain issues in battery materials, including the development of new metal dissolution technologies, the possibilities of a zero-waste reusable economy, tokenising the supply chain using blockchain technology, and enhancing the sustainability of the supply chain. The use of tokenised smart contracts allows for traceability of metals and related environmental information, including carbon footprint, to meet the most stringent standards for responsible sourcing.
Vladimir Potanin, President of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to develop our business with Johnson Matthey, an important new player in the Finnish battery materials ecosystem, and to help the company enter the European electric vehicle market. Our memorandum should enable us to identify mutually beneficial sustainability initiatives that support the pursuit of the most sustainable battery material value chain in Europe."
Robert Macleod, CEO of Johnson Matthey, added: “Norilsk Nickel's long-term supply of nickel and cobalt is a milestone on our journey towards the development of a sustainable battery components ecosystem and further demonstrates the progress we are making in commercialising our business. Since sustainable development is at the heart of our strategy and is becoming an increasingly important requirement for our customers and consumers, we are pleased to cooperate with Norilsk Nickel to supply the market with cathode materials produced in accordance with sustainable development standards."