Sustainable nickel enabled by hydrogen-based reduction

U. Manzoor, L. Mujica Roncery, D. Raabe and I. R. Souza Filho ()
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U. Manzoor: Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials
L. Mujica Roncery: Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia
D. Raabe: Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials
I. R. Souza Filho: Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials

Nature, 2025, vol. 641, issue 8062, 365-373

Abstract: Abstract Nickel is a critical element in the shift to sustainable energy systems, with the demand for nickel projected to exceed 6 million tons annually by 20401–4, largely driven by the electrification of the transport sector. Primary nickel production uses acids and carbon-based reductants, emitting about 20 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of nickel produced5–7. Here we present a method using fossil-free hydrogen-plasma-based reduction to extract nickel from low-grade ore variants known as laterites. We bypass the traditional multistep process and combine calcination, smelting, reduction and refining into a single metallurgical step conducted in one furnace. This approach produces high-grade ferronickel alloys at fast reduction kinetics. Thermodynamic control of the atmosphere of the furnace enables selective nickel reduction, yielding an alloy with minimal impurities (

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08901-7

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