Ipilan Nickel Corp., the Palawan-based mining arm of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc., kicked off 2025 with the first shipment of nickel ore to China. With favorable weather, Ipilan Nickel anticipates a busy year, projecting 40 vessel shipments, split between 52 percent medium-grade and 48 percent low-grade nickel ore.
Global Ferronickel, a mining company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol FNI, said that on 17 January, MV Maple Unity set sail from the Ipilan Nickel anchorage in Brooke’s Point, carrying 60,117 wet metric tons (WMT) of medium-grade nickel ore with a 1.40 percent nickel content.
FNI president Dante R. Bravo is optimistic about the prospects for Ipilan Nickel. “We’re pleased with the momentum and the operational expansion. This growth is part of our long-term strategy, which includes a pending application to amend our Environmental Compliance Certificate,” he said.
The amendment to the ECC seeks to raise Ipilan Nickel’s annual production limit from 1.5 million WMT to 3 million WMT.
If approved, Bravo said, the increased output will drive job creation, enhance contributions to the social development management program, raise royalty shares for local indigenous peoples, and increase tax revenue for the government.
Ipilan Nickel operates under a mineral production sharing agreement in Brooke’s Point, covering 2,835 hectares of land, with 260 hectares already designated for mining. With support from both the local government and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, which granted its Certificate Precondition in 2024, Ipilan Nickel is well-positioned to grow sustainably and responsibly.
The company is committed to maintaining strong relationships with all stakeholders while pursuing responsible mining practices to ensure long-term community and environmental benefits.
