The plant will produce 25,000 tonnes of cobalt sulphate per year.

Ramp-up in green policies supportive of battery metals.

Shares of Candente Copper surged 13% by midday Tuesday.

Chalco also lifted output of that material by 14.3% year on year to 8.25 million tonnes.

Top nickel producer Indonesia has ambitious plans to start processing its rich supplies of nickel laterite ore used in lithium batteries and eventually become a global hub.

IGO said it was in preliminary talks to acquire Western Areas as part of efforts to raise its footprint in battery materials.

Revenue of top 40 reaches C$125 billion.

The property contains measured and indicated open pit resources of 23.9 million tonnes averaging 0.71% nickel.