9 May 2022

Vale confirms supply deal with Tesla for low-carbon nickel

Vale and Tesla have signed a long-term contract regarding the supply of Class 1 nickel in the USA from operations in Canada.

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‘We are pleased to have the leading electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla among our customers,’ says Deshnee Naidoo, Vale’s Executive Vice President of Base Metals. ‘This agreement reflects a shared commitment to sustainability and shows very clearly we are the supplier-of-choice for low-carbon and high purity nickel products essential for long-range batteries.’

Vale’s Canadian operations produce some of the lowest-carbon nickel globally. Rounds from its Long Harbour refinery in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2020 had a verified carbon footprint of 4.4t CO2 equivalent per tonne of nickel, while pellets and powder from the Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery in Ontario had a verified footprint of 7.3t equivalent. This includes Scope 1 and 2 emissions from mining, milling and refining as well as upstream Scope 3 emissions from inputs.