The Philippine government is inviting foreign investors to take over a high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) nickel processing facility in Palawan that could cease operations by 2027, as officials move to preserve the country’s role in the global battery minerals supply chain.
At a Philippines–Canada partnership forum on March 13, Ceferino Rodolfo, managing head of the Board of Investments, pitched the opportunity to Canadian mining firms, encouraging them to explore both greenfield and brownfield projects in the country’s mineral sector.
Rodolfo said potential investors are being invited to examine existing assets, including a nickel processing facility linked to Sumitomo Metal Mining, which earlier announced plans to shut down one of its processing operations in the Philippines.
The Japanese miner operates HPAL projects in the country through Coral Bay Nickel Corp. and Taganito HPAL Nickel Corp., both key players in refining laterite nickel ore into materials used in electric vehicle batteries.
Rodolfo said the potential closure stems largely from the need to build a new tailings storage facility—an investment that may not be viable under current nickel prices.
Still, he said the outlook for the project could improve as global demand for battery minerals continues to grow.
Nickel prices, he noted, could rebound over the medium to long term, particularly if international initiatives such as a proposed critical minerals agreement led by the United States introduce mechanisms like a floor price to stabilize markets.
Canada could play a strategic role in that transition. Rodolfo pointed to Canadian expertise in advanced tailings management systems that can improve environmental performance while recovering additional minerals from mine waste.
Beyond the potential plant takeover, the BOI also encouraged deeper Canadian participation in the country’s mining industry.
Rodolfo specifically urged B2Gold to expand its Philippine footprint, citing the company’s Masbate Gold Project as an example of responsible foreign investment and a model for future partnerships in the sector.
