[Ferro-Alloys.com] Turkish billionaire Robert Yuksel Yildirim plans to acquire nickel assets in Colombia, Guatemala and Africa for $2 billion, taking into account the expected increase in nickel prices. This is reported by foreign media.

In order to finance nickel mining transactions, R.Yildirim began negotiating with long-term investors, including infrastructure and sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds and family offices.

CoreX Holding, controlled by R.Yildirim, includes chromium and nickel processing plants, as well as ferroalloy plants in Sweden and Russia, a chromium and chemicals division in the United States, and mining companies in Kazakhstan.

Currently, R.Yildirim has invested $500 million in nickel mining, including the acquisition of a controlling stake in the mining company Minière Du Bafing SA in Côte d'Ivoire in December 2024 and ferronickel plants in North Macedonia and Kosovo.

The expansion of the nickel asset portfolio is aimed at replacing Chinese companies in this sector in Europe and the United States. Initially, it is planned to produce stainless steel, followed by nickel, copper, gold and zinc.

China has become a key producer of many essential minerals used in industries ranging from batteries for electric vehicles to wind turbines. Western governments are trying to reduce dependence on these supplies by increasing domestic production and entering into trade alliances.

In early 2025, CoreX lost a tender to MMG Ltd. to acquire Anglo American Plc's nickel business in Brazil. CoreX offered $900 million and secured financing from UBS Group AG, but Anglo American opted for an agreement with MMG, controlled by China Minmetals Corp., which owns mines around the world, including the giant Las Bambas copper mine in Peru.

CoreX Holding is a vertically integrated industrial conglomerate founded in 2024 by R.Yildirim. CoreX operates in 10 sectors, including metallurgy and mining, ports and terminals, green energy, shipping and logistics, infrastructure and construction, oil and gas, chemical industry, international trade, financial investments and venture capital. The headquarters is located in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) with the main operational office in Istanbul (Turkey) and representative offices in 55 countries with 20,000 employees.

• [Editor:tianyawei]