Safety and ESG Recognition
17.7 million man-hours without a lost time injury (LTI) and awarded the Excellence in Sustainability Leadership award by CNBC Indonesia, highlighting strong ESG and environmental management credentials.
Solar Project Financial Close and Long‑Term PPA
262 MWp solar project with an 80 MW battery energy storage system achieved financial close. Company is an offtaker under a 25‑year fixed-rate power purchase agreement with no inflation escalation, locking in a significant portion of future power costs.
Strong Commodity Price Environment
Nickel and cobalt spot prices strengthened materially: current LME nickel spot > $18,000/t vs 2025 average $15,162/t (~+18.8%), MSP contract price +18% to $17,110/t, NPI spot ~$13,200 (~+19% above the December quarter average), and cobalt spot > $55,000/t vs 2025 average ~$39,967/t (~+37.8%).
HNC / HPAL Strong Performance
HNC delivered USD 17.2 million EBITDA, a 32% increase versus the September quarter. HNC EBITDA per tonne increased from $629/t to $812/t (~+29%).
RKEF Production and Costs
RKEF nickel metal production and operations increased ~1% quarter-on-quarter; electricity costs fell, partially offsetting modestly higher ore costs.
ENC Commissioning Progress
ENC unit testing and wet commissioning underway with final commissioning targeted by end of the quarter. Crystallizers installed and integrated; sulfuric acid plant and key mechanical tests commenced; slurry pipeline works progressing.
Strategic Investment into ENC by Sphere Corp
Sphere Corp to acquire 10% of ENC at a USD 2.4 billion valuation (NIC invested USD 2.3 billion) — a ~4.35% premium — providing endorsement and entry to premium Western (including aerospace) supply chains; funding expected Q1 2026.
Rapid Mine Ramp-Up After RKAB Reinstatement
After approval to restart on 12 Dec and an increased RKAB to 10.5 million tonnes for 2025, the company delivered nearly 1 million tonnes in the last 19 days of the quarter and was tracking to deliver ~1.4 million tonnes in January, demonstrating fast operational recovery.
Development Pipeline and Exploration Progress
Sampala/ETL and ANN projects progressing: ETL feasibility submitted (target ~6 Mtpa), ANN feasibility complete (including slurry plant concept), haul road 72% complete, and ~18,000 m of drilling completed to support mine planning.
Adjusted EBITDA from Operations
Adjusted EBITDA from operations reported at USD 37.3 million for the quarter (reflects underlying operational earnings before specific mine impacts).