Australia’s Nickel Industries have completed the first sales of matte nickel to Glencore, its first western buyer, from its Hengjaya Nickel project in Indonesia. The contract will begin in January next year and will run for an initial period of six months. The volume and pricing terms weren’t disclosed.

Justin Werner, Managing Director of Nickel Industries, said that the contract marked the maturity of the company’s nickel matte business and an important diversification of its customer base, entering western markets closely linked to the global electric vehicle supply chain.

Nickel Industries is one of the major nickel pig iron producers in Indonesia, and it has transformed to focus on products for the global battery supply chain.