Environmental design and the growing need for nickel

Aside from its many uses and applications, nickel is used to construct eco-friendly designs. Through nickel alloys, eco-architecture is becoming a practical method of infusing sustainable living in urban and rural settings.

These days, modern structures in cities are being designed with a “greener sense,” and nickel plays a huge part in it. In London, the construction of the Garden Bridge that spans over River Thames is one example. Garden Bridge is a 366-meter long and 30-meter wide pedestrian bridge that will link the Temple Station and the South Bank. The bridge will be made from copper and nickel, and will support 1,000 cubic meters of soil where trees and plants will thrive.

Executive director Bee Emmott said the team behind the Garden Bridge hopes to inspire the construction of more environmentally conscious projects in the area. The Garden Bridge costs 175 million pounds and is expected to open its floors to the public by 2018.

“The aims of the Garden Bridge Trust include helping reconnect the public with nature, promoting biodiversity and improving air quality in the heart of London. We hope the innovative design and infrastructure concept of the Garden Bridge will inspire a wealth of green buildings and transport links right across London,” said Emmott.

Being a part of eco-friendly structures is one of the many advanced uses of nickel that makes the demand ever-growing. According to Hellenic Shipping News, the Nickel Institute stated that the need for nickel will continue to grow due to new applications. Millions of new applications are to be expected in the parts and processes industry, and each small application will contribute to global demand. Nickel’s high tolerance for heat and its ability to maintain product quality makes it a top choice for innovation breakthroughs in sustainability and science.

The Nickel Institute also stressed the recovery of materials that contain high nickel amounts such as electrical systems and batteries from landfills for recycling. In this age of innovation, there’s no limit as to what the imagination will accomplish in terms of recycling. Nickel’s high economic value and its natural ability to be restored make this project ethical and regulatory.

Aside from having electrochemical qualities that make it highly recyclable and sustainable, nickel plays an important role in energy storage and supply. Most geothermal plants in the world use nickel alloys in its structures to prevent piping corrosion.

Puhagan geothermal plant in the Philippines. (Photo by Mike Gonzalez via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0)

The growing need for nickel will surely be met with the supply even in the wake of the Indonesian nickel ban, thanks to mines in development. Amur Minerals Corporation (OTC:AMMCF) is currently securing its mining license from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Located in a huge nickel deposit in Far Eastern Russia’s Amur Oblast region, Amur Minerals is aiming to produce 67 million tons of high-grade nickel.  Once Amur Minerals starts to unearth the deposit, the need for nickel will be met with high-quality supply, fueling continuous environmental design innovations globally.

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