GAL - Chart Thread, page-196

I never said it was impossible. Just that it is more expensive, hence nickel sulphide miners will always have an edge. Leaching and solvent extraction are exciting new developments, I agree - but I am still reluctant to comment as to whether it will create the high purity Nickel sulfate (same as sulphate, btw) that the battery guys require.

The other issue with leaching is the time it takes. And the more pure you want to longer you require to leach. It is also environmentally challenging to manage, especially as you go up in scale. Many tier-one mining companies have abandoned plans for large-scale leaching, as a single environmental incident will cause significant reputational damage (not to mention cost of cleanup!)