I've worked on many HPAL (High Pressure Acid Leach) plantsLike...

I've worked on many HPAL (High Pressure Acid Leach) plants

Like many things it is usually dated information that is floated and not the whole story is told.

At least one of the HPAL plants that I expect will be announced in the next few months will be constructed in Australia and is to be generation 5 HPAL (well known process flow sheet with minimum risk)

Sulphides are much higher grade and lower capex - many supply briquettes and have to convert these briquettes to sulphates to be suitable for the battery manufacturer - so lower capex but some additional processing

The HPAL process I am referring to produces the end product the battery manufacturers want on site so the value add is done in Oz - so higher capex but delivers the product the offtake partner wants. The unknown with some of the laterites is whether the Scandium they also have will be commercialised in the near term - as it is currently about USD $4 million dollars per tonne - and though the price will come down if commercial take up for EV chassis evolves, rather than just aircraft fuselages, it will still command a very profitable price

What's best - I don't care - I'm not interested in any this is better than that scenarios - Risk Management 101 - I've invested in both because I believe there is value in both - both will be multi billion dollar facilities (IMHO)

Another risk management strategy is not to be totally engrossed in Battery Minerals are the answer to everything  - though I doubt it will happen quickly, technology changes can throw curve balls - at least with high grade Nickel there are the well known uses aside from Battery mineral uses.

I hope that John talks/is talking to the offtake partner from the laterite I follow when it's the right time - they have already announced 3 battery manufacturing plants in the US, Europe and China - and I believe they need more feedstock than their current offtakes cater for.

The world (including the vehicle manufacturers) is moving toward ethical nickel cobalt supply and there is enough to go around for everyone.

Most focus is also on EV's but battery storage facilities, gigafactories (and many other use cases that none of us really know yet) will all evolve quickly.

The battery storage revolution really has a chance to make peoples lives so much better in many third world locations - in a relatively short period of time

BTW St George remains what it started out as in 2012 for me - my favourite nickel sulphide stock - unless there is a left field major new discovery I just cannot see better value in this space (IMHO)

Cheers

Interested Onlooker