World’s top miner charges into cobalt
MELBOURNE — BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, is advancing plans to add production of a key cobalt material used in rechargeable batteries to boost its exposure to the electric vehicle revolution.
The Nickel West operation in Western Australia, aiming to sell 90 percent of its output to the battery sector by the end of next year, has had success with laboratory tests on adding production of cobalt sulphate alongside its specialist nickel product, Asset President Eduard Haegel, said Monday in an interview.