Vale Prepares to Operate Three HPAL Nickel Smelters

PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (INCO) is continuing to accelerate the development of three high-pressure acid leach (HPAL)-based nickel processing plants in Sulawesi to support nickel downstreaming and the electric vehicle battery supply chain.

Vale Indonesia Specialist Environment Sustainability Rizki Pratiwi said the three projects are located in Pomalaa, Morowali, and Sorowako, with total production capacity reaching around 246,000 tons of mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) per year.

"The three projects are located in Pomalaa, Morowali, and Sorowako, with total production capacity reaching 246,000 tons of mixed hydroxide precipitate per year," Rizki told reporters on Wednesday (Sept. 2, 2026).

The largest project is located in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi, and is being developed in partnership with Ford and Huayou, with an investment of USD 4.5 billion. The HPAL facility has a capacity of 120,000 tons of MHP per year, while the mine is being prepared to produce 21 million wet metric tons (wmt) of limonite and 7 million wmt of saprolite per year. The Pomalaa HPAL facility is targeted to begin operations in 2026.

Next, the IGP Morowali project is being developed in partnership with GEM and EcoPro, with an investment of around USD 2 billion. The HPAL facility has an MHP production capacity of around 60,000 tons per year.

The Bahodopi mine is being prepared to supply around 10.4 million wmt of limonite and 5.5 million wmt of saprolite per year. The Morowali HPAL facility is targeted for completion in 2027.

Meanwhile, the IGP Sorowako Limonite project is being developed in partnership with Huayou, with an investment of around USD 2.2 billion. The HPAL facility has a production capacity of 60,000 tons of MHP per year and will receive around 11.5 million wmt of limonite per year with a minimum nickel grade of 1.10%.

The development of the three projects is part of Vale's strategy to increase the added value of nickel commodities domestically while strengthening Indonesia's position in the electric vehicle battery industry supply chain.

Source: https://sulawesi.bisnis.com/read/20260902/540/2000784/vale-bersiap-operasikan-3-smelter-nikel-hpal

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