In addition to looking at its own manufacturing operations, Outokumpu also seeks to strengthen its supply chain of sustainable raw materials for the future.

Therefore, the company has signed an agreement to become a shareholder in the Canadian company, FPX Nickel Corp., as the only stainless steel producer with an ownership share of 9.9%. The carbon footprint of the FPX Nickel product is projected to be among the lowest 10% in the nickel industry and it is readily usable in stainless steel industry, making it well suited for Outokumpu’s stainless steel operations.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, junior mining and development company FPX Nickel owns and develops the Baptiste nickel deposit in the Decar Nickel District located in central British Columbia. The current estimate is that the nickel production would start approximately at the end of the current decade. Outokumpu has agreed to invest EUR 11 million in the company. With the investment, Outokumpu secures a right to a share of FPX Nickel’s future production.

The nickel contained in the Baptiste deposit is in the form of a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy called awaruite, which will generate a novel ferronickel product. Given its ferromagnetic properties, this alloy can be recovered to a high-value ferronickel product using a simple process of magnetic separation and flotation, which represents certain cost and sustainability advantages in comparison to the traditional furnace smelting techniques used to produce ferronickel. Further, the proximity of the Baptiste deposit to the Canadian hydro-electric power grid will assist FPX in achieving nickel production with among the lowest carbon intensity in the global nickel industry.

“Our partnership with Outokumpu testifies to Baptiste’s potential to produce a premium nickel product that can bypass the intermediate smelting stage, thus becoming a highly sought-after feedstock for the responsible production of low-carbon finished products in multiple consumer and industrial markets, including stainless steel. FPX is pleased to be Outokumpu’s preferred partner as they look to secure the sustainable, long-life nickel units which are best aligned with their strategic objectives,” comments Martin Turenne, FPX’s President and CEO.

“The carbon footprint of Outokumpu’s stainless steel is already the lowest in the world, but we want to further decarbonize our product. This also requires the reduction of our supply chain emissions. To achieve this, we work together with our suppliers to strengthen the sustainability of the entire supply chain – including environmental, social and governance aspects. The nickel found in the deposit developed by FPX Nickel in Canada has a very low carbon footprint. Therefore, we are excited to be part of this development project as a shareholder, which, once realized, would mean an excellent low-emission source of nickel and in a composition which suits our own production,” says Marc-Simon Schaar, Head of Raw Material Sourcing at Outokumpu.

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