Canadian firm MBMI Resources is planning to invest $180m in nickel production in Palawan, the Philippines.

If approval is granted by the government, the firm will invest about $80-100m to deliver nickel output capacity of 15,000tpa.

An additional $80m will be spent to expand the nickel output capacity to 30,000tpa in the second phase of the programme.

MBMI Resources president and CEO John Wong said that the firm has invested about $50m to date in project studies and related activities.