The mining wealth owned by Indonesia has not been exhausted. This time, there is one mineral that is touted as the world's largest 'treasure', which is nickel. Moreover, the development of electric vehicles relies heavily on nickel.

Reporting from CNBC Indonesiaa, citing the Nickel Booklet released by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) 2020, based on USGS data in January 2020 and the 2019 Geological Agency, Indonesia is recorded to have nickel reserves of 72 million tons of nickel (including nickel limonite).

Previously, not all nickels were considered good goods, one of which was nickel limonite. According to a journal in the Indonesian Metal Journal, limonite ore contains low nickel levels, so it is often seen as uneconomical.

Limonite ore can be extracted nickel and cobalt using high technology and requires large investments. Nickel and cobalt can maximally be extracted in an Autoclave with the help of high concentrations of sulfuric acid at high temperatures and pressures, with a relatively short leaching time.

The overall process of processing and refining this limonite ore is quite complex and difficult due to its low nickel content.

Even so, one of the Harita Nickel companies based on Obi Island, through its business unit Halmahera Persada Lygend, succeeded in conserving minerals by processing this low-grade nickel ore into a product of economic and strategic value for Indonesia and the world.

The move is to use a technological innovation called High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL). This technology is the first to be applied in Indonesia and has produced Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) as much as 188,600 WMT for 1 year of operation since June 23, 2021.

The resulting MHP can then be further processed into Nickel Sulphate (NiSO)4) and Cobalt Sulfate (CoSO4). All products produced are used to be raw materials for electric vehicle batteries. This means that nickel limonite was previously not used, but now has economic value and supports the government's efforts in the clean energy transition.

Regarding this technology, ITB Metallurgical Engineering Professor Muhamad Zaki Mubarok appreciated the efforts made by Harita Nickel. According to him, the HPAL technology used is a new thing in Indonesia.

"Cultivating low grade nickel which has not been processed so far. So we're talking limonite processing. Compare it with atmospheric pressure. We can also compare with the processing of saprolite ore. Of course this is indeed a different item. But compared to the process, the CO2 emissions are indeed lower," added Zaki as quoted from Harita Nickel's YouTube video.

Meanwhile, Technical Support Department Head of Harita Nickel Rico Windy Albert explained that the process of processing nickel limonite is processed in a main unit called an autoclave. In this place, nickel ore is processed with high pressure and temperature to extract nickel and cobalt.

"The process utilizes sulfuric acid which functions as an energy source to produce Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP). As a pioneer in the application of this technology in Indonesia, it is certainly a good opportunity for the nation's children to learn this technology for the progress of the nation in the future," said Rico.

Rico continued, the rest of the results of processing nickel limonite have a solid, harmless, and non-toxic form. The rest of the processing was also placed in a former mining pit, and has obtained permission from the central government (KLHK).

In addition to the application of environmentally friendly HPAL technology, the company is also used as a benchmark in similar industries by the government in placing the remaining processing products in the form of solids in the former mining area.

Image source: dok. Harita Nickel

Source: https://news.detik.com/adv-nhl-detikcom/d-6349362/nikel-limonit-dulu-terabaikan-sekarang-jadi-masa-depan-mobil-listrik