Ford strikes nickel partnership with PT Vale Indonesia, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt

Ford announced that it has inked a partnership with PT Vale Indonesia and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. to advance more sustainable nickel production in Indonesia and help make electric vehicle batteries more affordable.

Per the American automotive brand, the three-party collaboration will see the companies involved make equity investments in the Pomalaa Block High-Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) Project. Through the said investments, the Pomalaa Block HPAL Project will process ore provided by PT Vale Indonesia from its Pomalaa Block mine to produce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), a lower-cost nickel product used in EV batteries with nickel-rich cathodes.

The Blue Oval said that the collaboration will deliver materials essential for the auto industry’s shift to electric vehicles (EV), enhance Indonesia’s EV manufacturing industry, and support its plan to deliver a two million EV production run rate by the end of 2026 and further scale over time.

“This framework gives Ford direct control to source the nickel we need — in one of the industry’s lowest-cost ways — and allows us to ensure the nickel is mined in line with our company’s sustainability targets, setting the right ESG standards as we scale. Working this way puts Ford in a position to help make EVs more accessible for millions and to do it in a way that helps better protect people and the planet,” said Ford Model e EV Industrialization Vice President Lisa Drake.

Photos from Ford

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