Glencore and General Motors have announced a multi-year sourcing agreement in which Glencore will supply GM with cobalt from its Murrin Murrin operation in Australia.  

The deal is the latest is a series of long-term cobalt supply agreements from the world’s biggest mine producer.  Glencore’s Murrin Murrin operation sees nickel laterite ore extracted from an open-pit mine and processed via HPAL.  Total capacity is around 36,400tpy nickel and 3,000tpy cobalt briquettes.   

The announcement suggests that cobalt from Glencore’s operation will be used in GM’s Ultium battery cathodes.  There was, however, no word in the announcement regarding volumes.  It was reported in 2019, that BMW had signed an agreement to secure large volumes from Murrin Murrin, suggesting that either the BMW contract is coming to an end, or that GM’s sourcing agreement is not for the lion’s share of Murrin Murrin’s output.