Philippines Represents Largest Nickel, Gold Projects in Southeast Asia

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources East Asia (Kofu-shi, Japan)--Southeast Asia metals and minerals projects currently account for approximately 5% of Industrial Info's global capital Metals & Minerals Industry coverage, representing more than $100 billion in capital investments. Steel and steel-related projects make up approximately 35% of the region's industry specific projects, while cement accounts for 20%. Coal, nickel and gold projects each account for roughly 11%. The remainder is made up of niche projects, including rare earths, polysilicon and alumina. Most polysilicon development is taking place in Malaysia, while most steel and steel-related project development is currently headed by Vietnam.

Projects in the Philippines account for approximately 17% of Southeast Asia's investments, following Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Industrial Info is currently tracking more than $17 billion in capital project investments, 50% of which are directed at nickel projects. The Philippines is nearly even with Indonesia in terms of nickel projects and investments. Nickel growth is expected to increase within the next few years as prices stabilize, and urbanization and manufacturing surge in Southeast Asia.

One of the larger nickel projects on the books for the Philippines is a nickel refinery scheduled to start construction during the fourth quarter of this year. When completed, all of the product is bound for Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Limited's (TYO:5713) (Tokyo) Niihama plant in Japan. Sumitomo has been increasing its nickel capacity in response to several driving forces, including Japanese demand for rechargeable battery materials.

The growth of the global rechargeable battery market will also act as a driving force for nickel projects, most of which are accompanied with a cobalt target as well. Most current rechargeable batteries on the market are nickel-hydride in nature, though the growth of nickel-cobalt-manganese lithium-ion batteries is expected to render them obsolete due to higher efficiency. Nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries can be tuned for either higher voltage or greater energy density by changing the percentages of the materials used.

Coal mining projects are relatively few in the Philippines. The country is a minor coal producer, typically importing at least 80% of its coal needs every year. One of the larger related projects is a 400-megawatt coal-fired power station and coal terminal, which is actually part of a larger gold and copper project. Industrial Info is currently tracking nearly $7 billion in gold and copper projects, representing some of the largest investments in Southeast Asia.

View Project Reports - 300011881 300030555 94800119

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.