Glencore announced this Monday that it would mothball the Koniambo Nickel SAS (KNS) ferronickel production plant in New Caledonia. The Swiss group believes that these activities are “not profitable” despite the French government's proposals.
For now, the 1,300 employees are keeping their jobs and the ovens remain hot. The closure of the three factories would be synonymous with a major social crisis in the archipelago, where nickel sector is by far the largest private employer.