Nickel: Emissions
Why Indonesian coal power makes nickel so carbon-heavy
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 40.0 t CO2e per t Ni range about 13 (HPAL, sulphide Class 1) to about 70 (coal-powered RKEF/NPI) · cradle-to-gate, production-weighted average across routes; derived Global emissions per year 155 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · about 40 t CO2e/t x 3.9 Mt of mine outputPer t of contained nickel in primary products (all routes), cradle-to-gate. Intensity: IEEFA 2024 (Indonesian company data, 2023); Nickel Institute Class 1 LCA (indicative); derived weighting. Global total: Derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Extraction 7% Refining / processing 90% Movement 3%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | about 2-4 t CO2e/t Ni | 7% | diesel for open-pit laterite mining; low ore grades mean large volumes | Laterite mines move large tonnages of wet ore | Indicative |
| Refining / processing | about 35 t CO2e/t Ni on average; RKEF/NPI about 57-70, HPAL about 13 | 90% | captive coal power for electric furnaces; coal as reductant; acid and steam for HPAL | Power is almost half of NPI emissions in Indonesia | IEEFA 2024 (company data, 2023); CRU 2023 |
| Movement | about 1 t CO2e/t Ni | 3% | shipping ore and intermediates | Indonesia to China is short; ore is heavy and wet | Indicative |
| Usage | none directly; enabling | – | no emissions in use | Nickel batteries enable EVs; stainless steel lasts decades | this tile's lessons |
| Recycling / end of life | much lower than primary (no figure published in the sources used) | – | stainless scrap remelted with nickel intact; battery recycling | Scrap met about 60% of US nickel use in 2025; EU end-of-life recycling input rate 16% | USGS MCS 2026; EU CRM 2023 |
Other environmental impacts
Indonesian nickel has cleared tropical forest in Sulawesi and Halmahera and raised concerns over deep-sea tailings disposal and HPAL waste. Process chemicals can make up about 25% of nickel's carbon footprint (Nickel Institute).
Levers to cut emissions
- Replace captive coal power in Indonesia with gas, hydro or renewables: an estimated 20-45% cut (CRU 2023)
- Shift more output to HPAL, whose intensity is about 13 t CO2e/t (IEEFA 2024)
- Hydro-powered sulphide routes, as at Vale's Sorowako plant with 365 MW of hydropower (IEEFA 2024)
- Higher stainless scrap use and battery recycling
India
India has no primary nickel output and imports refined nickel and Indonesian NPI, including from Jindal Stainless's 49% share of New Yaking, a coal-powered plant, so its stainless steel carries Indonesia's high nickel footprint (this tile's lessons; IEEFA 2024).
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.