Options for Hydrometallurgical Treatment of Ni-Co Lateritic Ores for Sustainable Supply of Nickel and Cobalt for European Battery Industry from South-Eastern Europe and Turkey

Abstract

The automotive industry is in the process of transformation from the traditional production of vehicles with engines powered by the combustion of fossil fuels to vehicles powered by electric energy. This revolutionary transformation will generate a growing demand for metallic raw materials that are a crucial part of batteries—nickel and cobalt, among others. Providing enough raw materials for e-mobility in a sustainable way will be a challenge in the years to come. The region of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) and Turkey is relatively rich in lateritic Ni-Co deposits, and this region has the potential to partially replace the import of nickel and cobalt intermediates to the European Union from distant overseas locations. Possibilities for the sustainable sourcing of nickel and cobalt from the SEE region are reviewed in this paper, with an overview of the global demand and production of these metals, lateritic mineral resources of SEE, the current status of production, and the prospective development of nickel and cobalt production in this region.