In an alliance with other smelters, Huadi produces about 15mt per annum of nickel slag and Banks says the JV will have the potential to lock-in the supply chains needed to supply the market with low carbon cement.

The new JV follows the inking of another 50:50 JV agreement six weeks ago between Suvo and WA-based concrete manufacturer PERMAcast to commercialise the intellectual property held by Suvo for a low-carbon “geopolymer” cement product made from processed mining waste, predominantly nickel slag.

To demonstrate its commitment to Suvo’s technology, PERMAcast executives recently contributed $300,000 to the company’s $2 million capital raising to help develop and commercialise the technology.

Suvo holds a worldwide intellectual property (IP) licence for its geopolymer cement that is considered a more climate-friendly alternative to traditional cement products.

Under the agreement, Suvo and PERMAcast will prepare and test various formulations, assess their suitability for different applications and determine the best route for commercialisation through their jointly owned special purpose vehicle.

Suvo is progressing the commercialisation of its so-called “Murdoch Technology” – a low-carbon geopolymer concrete formulation known as colliecrete – which it has licensed from Murdoch University under a worldwide and exclusive IP agreement.

Geopolymer concrete is produced by reacting aluminate and silicate bearing materials with a caustic activator such as metakaolin, fly ash, ground blast furnace slag and other waste derived materials.

It is seen as a suitable replacement for concrete made using the traditional binder, Portland cement, which is manufactured utilising a high carbon-emitting process representing 8 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

The latest deal in Indonesia underlines Suvo’s key strategy of producing low carbon cement across multiple sites near available waste streams where it is only limited by the waste product availability and local market for cement products.

At face value, Indonesia would appear to be a big market for cement and if Suvo can get PT HBIP to supply a solid stream of nickel waste on an ongoing basis, it just might be in a position to build its first ongoing profitable business unit.

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