Nickel - "new kid on the block" LME week 2017

There's a fair bit emerging about the increased need for nickel because of the energy storage phenomenon that's about to change our lives.  This report from the well regarded Mike Beck, just after LME week in London this month builds on that:


There's a significant nickel component in a Li-ion battery and it seems it's  going to increase (at the expense of manganese and cobalt - but not lithium) because it improves performance.  It seems that the current Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt NMC 111 batteries may go from 33% each metal to 80% Nickel (yes, that's right) in a proposed NMC 811 battery.  If so, that will be significantly increase the demand for nickel.  Rising nickel prices are starting to reflect that.

I emphasise - those possible changes won't affect the requirement for lithium in those batteries - but that's another story.  Much of the attached link deals with (and confirms) the lithium requirement but if you want to pick out some parts referring to the other battery metals then listen around these times:

0:15 – he says LME week in London reminded him of the start of the China boom in the mid 2000’s
1:38 – Ni is “new kid on the block” for battery metals amid recognition that more battery metals will be needed than has been recognised
2:00 -> 2:35 – Cu emerging as a story, too. Ave electric vehicle (+ related grid wiring) uses >80kg more Cu than an internal combustion engine
10:58 – 12:23 – industry is trying to change to use more nickel and less cobalt.