Producer
Jien Nickel Industry Co., Ltd.
Jien Nickel Industry Co., Ltd. (Jinchuan Group subsidiary; Jinchang, Gansu Province) is China's largest nickel miner and a significant cobalt sulfate producer as a nickel refining byproduct. Jien operates the Jinchuan nickel-cobalt-copper complex in Gansu — one of the world's largest nickel sulfide deposits — where cobalt is recovered as a byproduct of nickel processing. Jien's cobalt sulfate production (~3-5% global share) is derived from cobalt concentrates generated during nickel refining at the Jinchuan complex. Unlike DRC-sourced cobalt sulfate, Jien's cobalt comes from a domestic Chinese nickel sulfide deposit — making it the most geographically independent cobalt sulfate source within China. Jinchuan Group (Jien's parent) is a state-owned enterprise under Gansu Province.
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Nickel Refining (Sulfate & Metal)
45%Cobalt Sulfate (Byproduct)
22%Copper Refining (Byproduct)
18%Platinum Group Metals (Byproduct)
15%
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Did you know2024
Jien Nickel's Jinchuan complex produces palladium and platinum as byproducts of nickel refining. Palladium and platinum are the active metals in catalytic converters on gasoline and diesel vehicles (the dominant ICE technology being displaced by EVs). The exact same complex also produces cobalt and nickel sulfate that go into NMC battery cathodes for EVs. The Chinese state miner that profits from catalytic converter demand (ICE vehicles) simultaneously profits from EV battery demand (the replacement technology). As the global vehicle fleet shifts from ICE to EV, Jinchuan loses revenue from catalytic converter PGMs while gaining revenue from battery cathode nickel/cobalt — an unusual natural hedge against the energy transition built into one mining complex's multi-metal output.
Jien Nickel / Jinchuan Group ↗Origin2023
The Jinchuan nickel-cobalt deposit in Gansu Province was discovered in 1958 during a Chinese geological survey team's mapping of the Gobi Desert edge. The discovery was so strategically significant that the entire city of Jinchang was built from scratch in the remote desert to support the mining complex — a classic example of Soviet-influenced "resource city" development. Jinchuan Group was established as a state enterprise to operate the deposit, which became China's primary domestic source of nickel, cobalt, and platinum group metals. Jien Nickel is the mining and refining subsidiary that processes the ore from this deposit.
Jien Nickel / Jinchuan Group ↗