From staff reports The company planning to become America’s first major nickel refiner announced its first binding commercial agreement.
Westwin Elements called it a “milestone seven-year sales and purchase agreement” with Golden Age Free Zone Establishment, which is a subsidiary of Apex Group-Türkiye (the Republic of Turkey).
Westwin operates a nickel/cobalt refinery test plant in southwest Lawton. Officials of the firm have said they planned to be ready to announce the location for their commercial refinery this summer.
Under the agreement, Westwin will supply 2,600 metric tons per annum (tpa) of carbonyl nickel powder and Class 1 nickel briquettes to Golden Age FZE. The total estimated value of the contract is approximately $350 million.
Westwin also is negotiating with the Pentagon on a nickel deal to manufacture of batteries for military drones.
“Oklahoma’s move into mineral processing is an unexpected turn in the country’s effort to wean itself from Chinese rivals that have blocked exports,” reported World Energy News.
Golden Age FZE will serve as the exclusive distributor and marketing partner for Westwin’s nickel powder and briquettes in Türkiye and will lead the development of theWestwin Elements brand in Türkiye and the broader Turkic republics.
“This agreement marks the commercial take-off for Westwin and for U.S. nickel refining,” said KaLeigh Long, Westwin Elements founder and chief executive officer. “We’re grateful to our team for making it possible and to Golden Age FZE and Apex Group for trusting us to bring American-made nickel to international markets. This is just the beginning of Westwin’s international growth.”
This agreement coincides with the ramp-up ofWestwin’s Phase 1 production, which will deliver 18,000 tpa of high-purity nickel per year. The company plans to reach a nameplate capacity of 68,000 tpa in 2034.Westwin also is actively engaged in commercial negotiations with several leading original equipment manufacturers and looks forward to finalizing additional agreements in the near future, company officials said.
Apex Group-Türkiye, founded in 1992, operates internationally in the construction and EPC industries, with a portfolio that includes a 488 megawatt gas turbine energy plant, shopping malls, housing developments, hospitals and active commodity trading operations.
“This agreement marks a landmark development for the powder metallurgy industry in Türkiye and the surrounding regions,” said Serdar Demiryol, spokesman for Golden Age FZE.
“Especially with the introduction of a new, specific-quality American-made product to the market, it holds significant importance for Türkiye’s robust nickel-plating sector, as well as for smallscale firms manufacturing alloys and specialized automotive parts.
“The alloy and powder metallurgy market is developing and expanding rapidly, and we believe that our long-term collaboration withWestwin Elements will grow exponentially, adding strategic value to regional markets. This landmark agreement marks Westwin’s entrance into international nickel markets and establishes a long-term commercial foundation with a trusted global partner.”
On social media, Oklahoma bills itself as “a one phone call state” that offers a simplified regulatory process.
That was what attracted MLB Industrial of Australia, a startup company that manufactures lithium ion batteries for locomotives, to locate in Oklahoma after deciding to expand its operations to the United States. “Oklahoma ticked all of the boxes,” MLB CEO Nathan Leech said in a video recorded by the state Commerce Department.