NEWS RELEASES - 2004

Nickel Institute Sponsors Stainless Steel Awards

The UK-based Nickel Institute (NI), will again be a sponsor of the biennial Stainless Steel Awards, which are hosted by the Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda). The NI, then the Nickel Development Institute (NiDI), was one of the founding sponsors of the Awards when they were instituted in 1998.

NI director, Bill Molloy, explains that because two-thirds of the world’s nickel is utilised in the production of stainless steel, it is in the NI’s interest to promote the use of stainless steel wherever possible. “We view Sassda’s Stainless Steel Awards as a major opportunity for us.”

Molloy added that the Awards are typical of the initiative that Sassda has displayed over the years in the promotion of stainless steel, not only locally but worldwide. “Sassda is a model of what can be achieved with relatively limited resources.”

The bond between the nickel and stainless steel industries has always been a strong one in this country. In fact, it was the International Nickel Company’s Leo Melvill and Gordon Jones who founded Sassda in 1964. “It is gratifying that forty years on, Sassda and NI maintain an excellent working relationship, a testimony to the successes we have had over the years.”

Molloy says that South Africa has proven an excellent venue for the promotion of stainless. “The fact is South Africa has a vibrant, vertically-integrated stainless steel industry, well known throughout the world. Any promotion there tends to attract international attention in the industry.”

The NI, which was established on January 1 2004, provides a single membership and management structure for activities previously undertaken by the Nickel Development Institute (NiDI) and the Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA). Its members represent over 70% of current world production.

Molloy says that the NI generates and communicates knowledge required to support safe and sustainable production, use and reuse of nickel. “For consumers, governments, regulators and other stakeholders, the Nickel Institute is committed to responding effectively to the growing requests for nickel-related information. For nickel producers and users it offers research-based, cutting-edge science and technical information,” says Molloy.

Nickel plays an essential enabling role in many areas of rapidly changing technology such as transport, energy, architecture, telecommunications, food processing, water treatment, environmental protection and healthcare.

Membership of the NI is open to all producers of nickel. Current members are: Anglo Platinum, BHP Billiton, Codemin/Anglo Base Metals, Empress Nickel, Eramet, Falconbridge Ltd., Inco Limited, Inco TNC, Nippon Yakin Kogyo, OM Group, P.T. International Nickel, Sherritt International, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Umicore, and WMC Resources.

Oliver Damm, Sassda’s executive director is delighted that the NI has decided to renew its sponsorship. “Nickel and stainless are inextricable partners and it is pleasing that an organisation of the NI’s stature continues to see the international value of our local Stainless Steel Awards, says Damm.

Damm says that since the Awards programme is intended to promote and celebrate the stainless steel industry, entries will be judged against a number of criteria or ‘values’ that do just that. Examples of such criteria are the use of stainless steel, excellence, quality, innovation and creativity, productivity and competitiveness, and sustainability - business, environmental and social. “The entries that best measure up against one or more of these criteria will qualify for recognition,” he says.

The Nickel Institutes co-sponsors of the awards are Afrox, Barloworld Stainless, Bosal, Columbus Stainless, Fischer Stainless, Franke, Macsteel VRN, NDE, Rebuff, Stalcor and Steloy.

This year’s awards will take place on the 12th November at Kyalami’s Theatre on the Track, just outside Johannesburg.