Indonesia's Vale nickel mining activities were suspended because the annual work plan was not officially approved. The company, a joint venture between Brazil's Vale's basic metals division and the Indonesian government, said in an announcement that although operations have been suspended, official approval is expected to be issued soon, and this extension is not expected to affect the sustainability of overall operations. Delays in mining quota approvals are not unusual, but traders are closely monitoring nickel supply prospects. Nickel prices rose sharply in December, driven by expectations of tighter market supply. Nickel futures rose 1% to $16,855 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange. The metal's price surged more than 12% cumulatively in December, the biggest monthly increase since April 2024. Vale Indonesia is one of the largest nickel mining companies in Indonesia and is currently investing huge sums of money to build a high-pressure acid leaching plant. Nickel products produced by such plants can be used in the field of electric vehicles. The production capacity of Indonesia's high-pressure acid leaching plants will be greatly expanded this year, and the number of plants will increase from the current 6 to at least 14.

Indonesia's Vale nickel mining activities were suspended because the annual work plan was not officially approved. The company, a joint venture between Brazil's Vale's basic metals division and the Indonesian government, said in an announcement that although operations have been suspended, official approval is expected to be issued soon, and this extension is not expected to affect the sustainability of overall operations. Delays in mining quota approvals are not unusual, but traders are closely monitoring nickel supply prospects. Nickel prices rose sharply in December, driven by expectations of tighter market supply. Nickel futures rose 1% to $16,855 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange. The metal's price surged more than 12% cumulatively in December, the biggest monthly increase since April 2024. Vale Indonesia is one of the largest nickel mining companies in Indonesia and is currently investing huge sums of money to build a high-pressure acid leaching plant. Nickel products produced by such plants can be used in the field of electric vehicles. The production capacity of Indonesia's high-pressure acid leaching plants will be greatly expanded this year, and the number of plants will increase from the current 6 to at least 14.