The Northern Miner Podcast: ‘There’s only a few smelters in the West’ — Battery makers ‘worried’ about nickel supply, ft Ken Hoffman

This week’s episode features Ken Hoffman, senior expert for McKinsey’s Basic Materials Institute (BMI), in conversation with Mining.com executive editor Frik Els at the Global Mining Symposium. Ken discusses the nickel market in-depth, and how battery makers, particularly in the West, are increasingly concerned about how they can secure a steady, ESG-friendly nickel supply over the coming decade. Ken Hoffman co-leads McKinsey’s EV Battery Material Research Group and has worked on over 50 EV value chain client projects. His team looks at the impact on raw materials due to the rapid development of advanced battery technologies. He has co-written articles on nickel in EV’s, and a cobalt and lithium paper. Prior to McKinsey, Ken was the global head of metals and mining research for Bloomberg Intelligence. Listen at The Northern Miner.