The EV battery space, it's something a lot of people probably
want to understand and do understand and have a tangible impact on it as we have
this massive global transition into electrification in vehicles.
So where do you want to place yourself in that supply chain
towards the EV battery, if it's going to be that boom that we think in the
next two decades or so, Does that mean
increase Kemco's stake beyond 35. Is that the kind of investment you would
want to make? I think Kemco itself, in and of itself
will need to make significant investment in the near future in order to secure
its position in the battery industry and to actually improve its position, which
is I think is necessary, especially given the fluctuations in the risk and
uncertainties that are just laden with this market,
right. And in that process, I think it is not
out of, you know, possibility that we will increase our, you know, Korea Zinc will increase
its stake in Kemco. But nothing really has been decided in
that regard. So your company sits in an interesting
paradigm and a very interesting time right now. The world is being
bifurcated by politics, geopolitical stresses between China and the United
States and the war in Ukraine obviously exacerbating all of these things.
Do you feel you need to take a side in this global dispute?
I mean, I'm not saying you're doubling down on Australia, but you are
increasingly relying on Australia and investing more there.
Is that because you're more wary perhaps about China restrictions, the export
restrictions, the IRA and the like? Well, a lot of our investments in
Australia are, like I said, you know, investments into
renewable energy. So, you know, we are not currently
looking at any immediate investments in connection with battery materials and
the minerals associated with with battery materials in Australia.
I mean, not directly, anyway. So, you know, with respect to IRA and
the geopolitical changes that you're talking about, especially, you know, you
know, especially impacting the world of battery materials in the supply chain,
you know, it's, there is no arbitrary decision for us to take one country over
the other. I think IRA creates an opportunity
for us and for probably for other companies too, which incentivizes
people to develop projects in certain parts of the world rather than some
other parts. And we'll definitely take that into
consideration when we make investments and its decisions.
Obviously, zinc refining is high energy intensity, high cost involved with the
energy input. So how important is it to accelerate that
transition if you are making a more of a transition into green hydrogen, for
example? Well, I think we are looking at various
ways to accelerate or to pursue this strategy as rigorously and aggressively
as we can as we speak. So I'm not really thinking in terms of
how to accelerate this even more. The battery related materials, especially in
connection with nickel. The market is crazy.
So the challenge here, I think, is perhaps not to blindly accelerate our
pursuit of finding a segment of the supply chain that we can be really,
really good at and to make, you know, manifest that plan into a business.
But to find a segment that is, that can exist in five, 10 years time
amidst this fast changing market.