In a major development, Chinese nickel producer Ningbo Lygend has started producing cobalt metal on Indonesia’s Obi Island as of early July. This achievement marks the first time a Chinese refinery has produced cobalt metal outside of China. The first phase of Lygend’s project has an annual production capacity of 4,000 tons, with the potential to expand to 6,000 tons per year.
“Whether and when the second phase (adding 2,000 tons per year) will commence construction depends on market conditions,” a source told Metalnomist. The cobalt produced will be shipped to China and various international markets.
Moreover, Lygend’s Indonesian subsidiary initiated the third production line at its ONC nickel high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) project on July 1. The HPAL project is designed to produce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), with some of it being processed into cobalt sulfate, cobalt metal, and nickel sulfate.
In 2023, Lygend’s cobalt production was about 7,000 tons of metal equivalent, and this is expected to rise to approximately 10,000 tons this year.
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