OREANDA-NEWS. March 20, 2012. Brazil's Vale S/A, the world's largest iron ore producer and exporter, should also become the No. 1 nickel producer by 2013, chief executive Murilo Ferreira said late Monday during an event in Rio de Janeiro.

Currently, Vale ranks second in nickel through its Canadian operations, behind Russia's Norilsk Nickel.

"I believe that either this or next year we'll surpass the largest global producer," Ferreira said, adding that demand for nickel should grow in coming years, especially because of electric vehicles, whose batteries use the me.