Brazilian mining group Vale expects a second furnace at its Onca Puma mine, in northern Para state, to increase its nickel production in 2025.
The new unit — set to start operations in the second quarter — is 85pc complete.
The company plans to produce 160,000–175,000 metric tonnes (t) of nickel this year.
Vale's first quarter nickel production rose by 11pc to 43,900t.
The company attributed the higher performance to strong output from its Canadian plants and the Onca Puma's furnace rebuild.
The mining group said nickel production will rise in 2025 despite several planned maintenance activities scheduled for the third quarter at the Sunbury complex in Canada.
Vale's nickel output fell by 3pc to 160,000t in 2024, down from 165,000t the year before.
