U.S.-based Atlas said it has come up with a way to treat a type of nickel ore usually used as an ingredient in stainless steel into a form that can be used for EV batteries with low emissions and no waste. Atlas came up with new technology to process saprolite nickel ores, which account for about a third of global nickel resources, into mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) for batteries, Ley added. The new processing technology uses hydrochloric acid and caustic soda to leach the ore, but does not need high pressure or high temperatures and does not result in waste products. Some processing plants have been launched in Indonesia using high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) to treat a similar type of nickel ore into MHP for batteries, but that technology produces toxic waste. The money will be used for engineering and design work for the pilot plant but further funding will be needed to actually build it, he added.

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Persons: Jeremy Ley, Ley, Eric Onstad, Sharon Singleton Organizations: EV, North America LONDON, Reuters . Atlas, portland, Investors, Grantham Environmental Trust, Voyager Ventures, Thomson Locations: North America, Canada, United States, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Grantham