Sep 01, 2025 . Read 5 min
Copper and Nickel: The Backbone of the Energy Transition
Team Vedanta
The shift toward clean energy isn’t just about solar panels or wind turbines, it’s about the materials that make them work. Copper and nickel are two of the most essential metals for this transition. Copper is the world’s best non-precious conductor of electricity, used extensively in solar Photovoltaic (PV), Electric Vehicles (EV) wiring, wind turbines, and grid infrastructure. Nickel, on the other hand, is a key component of lithium-ion batteries, critical for EVs and energy storage systems.
What makes these metals even more strategic is their dual role: enabling decarbonization while being part of highly electrified technologies. Without copper, you can’t transmit clean energy. Without nickel, you can't store it. And both metals face rising demand pressures as economies race toward net-zero goals.
Vedanta’s Copper & Nickel Operations
Vedanta’s copper and nickel operations are designed for delivering value across the full production chain, i.e. extraction and processing to finished materials. With its Tuticorin smelter and Silvassa refinery, Vedanta holds one of India’s largest integrated copper production capacities, essential for import substitution and domestic industrial resilience. Holding a strong 20% domestic market share, the company is focusing on green copper production – incorporating sustainable practices and efficient technologies – reinforcing its long-term competitiveness and commitment to responsible growth.
On the nickel side, Vedanta is the sole producer of primary nickel metal in India and in FY25, the company sold ~80% of nickel metal production in the Indian market. The nickel business is undergoing a phase wise capacity enhancement plan. The company’s market share in the domestic nickel cathode market is currently close to 5% and has also captured 40% of total Nickel sulphate domestic market. Further, Nickel sulphate is exported to the EV battery makers in South Korea. The ongoing Phase 1 includes debottlenecking of its existing plant to reach 10 KTPA, supported by automation, modernisation, and optimal asset utilisation, In phase 2, the company plans to set up an additional 1.8 KTPA facility to produce value added products and its intermediate forms such as Nickel Hydroxide, Nickel Carbonate, and Nickel Oxide .
This model makes Vedanta a rare player in India’s clean energy raw material ecosystem. Instead of being just a commodity player, the company is positioning itself as a strategic enabler of the energy transition.
Why This Matters for Clean Energy in India
India’s clean energy ambitions are massive: 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, EV penetration across major vehicle segments, and deep electrification of industries and households. But there's a catch, India imports most of its copper and almost all of its nickel.
This is where Vedanta's role becomes crucial. With its scale, technical know-how, and existing infrastructure, Vedanta can help bridge the domestic supply gap. By strengthening copper and nickel availability within India, it reduces dependency on volatile international markets and ensures a reliable pipeline for sectors like EVs, renewable power, and green hydrogen.
In FY25 alone, Vedanta secured multiple critical mineral blocks through national auctions, including nickel, chromium, cobalt, and vanadium. This is a long-term strategic move to future- proof India’s access to transition minerals.
The roadmap ahead is clear: Vedanta is betting big on transition metals. From its partnerships to invest in energy storage tech, to expansion plans for smelting, refining, and beneficiation, this is a company reshaping its portfolio to stay relevant in a low-carbon world.
In FY2025-26, Vedanta is investing up to US$1.7 billion in capex projects. A significant chunk of this is directed toward its transition metal portfolio.
Clean energy transitions don’t start with wind farms. They start deep in the ground, with materials like copper and nickel. Vedanta understands this. And by building an integrated, future-focused supply chain for these critical metals, it’s not just supporting India’s energy goals, it’s shaping them.
