Nickel rounds produced at Vale's Long Harbour refinery in Newfoundland are low-carbon, according to third-party assurance firm Intertek Group.

The rounds produced at Long Harbour emit a total of 4.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of nickel, Intertek found. The Nickel Institute average for Class 1 nickel emits 13 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of nickel, and 45 tonnes for Class 2 nickel, Vale said.

"The low-carbon footprint of our Long Harbour rounds positions Vale well in the growing electric vehicle industry, in North America and beyond," Vale executive Mark Travers said.

The Long Harbour refinery uses hydrometallurgy to produce nickel, instead of the more carbon-intensive pyrometallurgy, which requires smelters and smokestacks. The hydrometallurgy process has also resulted in a higher recovery for cobalt byproduct, Vale said.

Vale has committed to spending up to US$6 billion to decrease carbon emissions by 33% by 2030, and decrease 15% of lower value-chain emissions by 2035. The Brazil-based company has plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.

Vale is a member of industry group ICMM, which has committed its members to achieving net zero scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner.