Tesla just offered a giant contract to whoever can efficiently mine nickel- why is this process so difficult and inefficient?
In: Engineering
Some underground Nickel deposits are difficult to work with, and in many parts of the world there are environmental concerns due to the use of coal fired power plants, and residues like acids used in nickle mining.
Canadian nickel has the advantage that the contaminants in the ore include precious metals like Gold. The Gold alone pays for the entire operation and the nickle is 100% profit.
The downside is the refineries for nickle are nowhere near the mines (Northern Quebec for example) so the ore has to be shipped by ocean to refineries.
That and the cost of labor in Canada is a lot higher than places like Brazil.
Latest Answers