From Inco to Brazilian Nickel: Mark Travers Shares His Journey and Vision for the Future of Nickel Production
In this episode, we chat with Mark Travers, CEO of Brazilian Nickel, a junior mining company who are planning to start nickel production in the future from the world’s first stand-alone nickel laterite heap leaching operation at its Piauí Nickel Project in Brazil. Mark has over 20 years in the mining industry with Inco Limited and Vale and held progressively senior roles in legal, institutional relations, communications and sustainability. Taking the helm at Brazilian Nickel 18 month ago, Mark takes us through his journey, how Brazil is developing as a mining jurisdiction, and how Brazilian Nickel are navigating the regulatory landscape in Brazil, plus an overview of the Nickel market globally. KEY TAKEAWAYS Brazilian Nickel is pioneering the use of heap leaching technology for nickel laterites, aiming to establish a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional high-pressure acid leaching methods. The flagship Piauí Nickel Project in Brazil is expected to produce approximately 26,000 to 27,000 tons of nickel per year with a mine life exceeding 30 years. The project is nearing construction readiness, with a completed feasibility study and necessary permits in place. Nickel prioritises sustainability, boasting low carbon intensity and no tailings facilities. The company has received Nickelmark accreditation for responsible production, emphasizing its commitment to environmental and social responsibility. The nickel market faces challenges due to current economic conditions, particularly in China and Indonesia. However, there is a growing need for diversified supply chains and low-carbon nickel, positioning Brazilian Nickel to capitalise on future demand as the electric vehicle market expands. BEST MOMENTS "We want to be part of that building out and diversification of the supply chain for electric vehicle batteries being built outside of China." "The Piauí Nickel Project is based in Piauí State in the northeast of Brazil... it will produce on average about 26,000 to 27,000 tons of nickel per annum." "Sustainability is at our core... If we're going to say that this is the product to build a supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, then you need to have those credentials." "We need to diversify supply chains to build upon the Indonesian supply... and you're going to need good nickel with strong ESG credentials, low carbon nickel." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail: rob@mining-international.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast Web: http://www.mining-international.org Website - https://www.braziliannickel.com/ X - @BrazilianNickel (https://x.com/BrazilianNickel) LinkedIn – Brazilian Nickel (https://www.linkedin.com/company/brazilian-nickel-ltd/) ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.