Main Director of PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk Roy Arman Arfandy revealed the reasons for the company to invest heavily in Indonesia. One of the NCKL mega projects, namely two integrated smelters on Obi Island, is currently under construction.
"The togetherness and wealth of Indonesia that attracted us is because it is simple and pure in Indonesia. The nickel industry is a good opportunity for nickel, so we are doing this (investment)," said Roy, at CNBC Indonesia's "Nickel Conference 2023" in Jakarta, Tuesday (25/07/2023).
With plans to downstream mining and electric vehicle ecosystems, Indonesian nickel is now the prima donna. As is known, nickel is the main raw material in the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries. The nickel smelter, which is being built by a subsidiary of the Narita Group, is said to be the largest in Indonesia.
"In 2022 we made many breakthroughs. So we are doing this more to support government policies," he said.
Roy added that nickel is the main component needed by the world. For this reason, the presence of a nickel industry ecosystem can support the industry in the future.
Despite the intensive investment, he emphasized that NCKL still pays attention to the sustainability of the mining concession area and its surroundings. He also mentioned that the company is the main contributor to the presence of mines on Obi Island and is the largest nickel producer on the island.
Image source: CNBC Indonesia/Faisal Rahman