PT Petrosea Tbk (PTRO) signed a contractor and vendor management term sheet with PT Bumi Barito Mineral (BBM) on July 30, 2024.Anto Broto, Corporate Secretary of PTRO, stated in a written statement on Thursday, August 1, that based on the term sheet, Petrosea will provide support to ensure smooth and sustainable production processes. This support includes monitoring, reviewing, and providing recommendations on the implementation of mining contractor services, blasting services, and fuel vendor services.Furthermore, Anto explained that under the term sheet, PTRO will also assist in the search and selection of fuel and blasting vendors for a duration of one year, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.For your information, BBM is a subsidiary of Cokal LTD (CKA), a public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with a focus on coking/metallurgical coal. BBM holds a Mining Operation Production Permit (IUP OP) for metallurgical coal located in Central Kapuas District, Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan Province.Anto added that this agreement positively impacts PTRO's operational activities, legal standing, financial condition, and business continuity.

The Indonesian Nickel Miners Association (APNI) has announced potential investment interest from Australian mining giant BHP in Indonesia’s nickel industry in anticipation of new regulations under the incoming Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration.Meidy Katrin Lengkey, Secretary-General of APNI, revealed that discussions have taken place, though no formal confirmation has been made.“There is potential for this to happen. We hope companies outside China will also consider investing in Indonesia,” Meidy said during an interview in Jakarta on Monday, July 29, 2024.The possibility of BHP entering the Indonesian market could materialize as early as next year, contingent on the political climate and forthcoming regulations.APNI is currently awaiting policy decisions from the new government, led by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, particularly those that could invigorate investor interest.BHP’s investment interest is driven by the company’s need for raw materials to produce nickel matte derivatives.“Essentially, any investment will require them to secure an upstream partner first,” Meidy said.The presence of numerous nickel smelters in Indonesia further enhances the appeal for potential investors like BHP.Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, has recently imported 380,000 tons of nickel ore from the Philippines as of July 2024.This importation is partly due to insufficient domestic supply, with local miners facing delays in receiving production approvals.Meidy emphasized that there are no regulations preventing companies from importing nickel, provided it is processed within Indonesia.This situation was echoed by PT Kalimantan Ferro Industry, which continues to import nickel ore from the Philippines for its smelter operations in East Kalimantan. The company’s representative, Ardhi Soemargo, cited delays in obtaining local supply approvals as the reason for importing nickel.As the industry awaits new government policies, the potential entry of BHP into Indonesia’s nickel sector could signal a significant boost to the country’s mining industry, diversifying investment sources beyond the dominant Chinese presence.

Indonesia’s government is trying to reduce Chinese involvement in new nickel projects to qualify for US government subsidies, according to a report by the Financial Times.Indonesian officials have been discussing with investors the construction of new smelters where Chinese companies hold less than a 25 per cent stake, said Septian Hario Seto, the deputy coordinating minister for investment and mining,Chinese companies are approaching Indonesian and South Korean firms for potential partnerships in high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) plants under construction and those in the planning stage, Septian Hario Seto, a Deputy Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs told Reuters on Friday.Under the US Inflation Reduction Act, to be eligible for an electric vehicle (EV) tax cut, materials for an EV or batteries must be supplied by firms with not more than 25% ownership by a ”foreign entity of concern”, which applies to companies from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.HPAL is a method for producing nickel material used in EV batteries from nickel ore.The intention is to reduce the Chinese companies’ stakes and be eligible for the tax credits in the U.S. market, said Seto, who oversees the mining sector at the coordinating ministry, adding Indonesian companies are also seeking majority shares in such projects.”The Chinese company will act as the technology provider, the Indonesian investors as the ones to provide the nickel ore and the Korean investors would be the off-takers,” he said.Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of nickel, has been negotiating a critical mineral deal with Washington so that its nickel can be included in the supply chain recognised by the IRA. But the Southeast Asian nation’s nickel industry is dominated by Chinese companies such as Tshingshan Holding Group, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Lygend Resources and Technology.The Financial Times reported on Thursday Indonesia’s government and industry are structuring new investment deals with Chinese companies as minority shareholders.Seto said the efforts are business-to-business, with no government intervention.During a visit to Jakarta last week, U.S. official Jose Fernandez said both countries’ negotiations on the critical mineral agreement were progressing positively but did not share details on timeline.

Nickel Industries Limited has won the 2024 IDX Channel ESG Award.The award was given because the company has implemented an integrated ESG program, Surya PLTS, which contributes to the sustainable nickel industry.Head of Sustainability at Nickel Industries Limited, Muchtazar, revealed that the company has successfully proven that producing green, sustainable, and responsible nickel is very possible.Contrary to much foreign media coverage that suggests Indonesian nickel is of low quality, Nickel Industries Limited, through its integrated upstream to downstream program and its three pillars of environment, economy, and social responsibility, can produce nickel with very low carbon emissions.Muchtazar mentioned that the company is currently building a 200 MWp solar power plant (PLTS) which, once completed, will be the largest PLTS, while remaining community and environmentally friendly. This PLTS is designed to minimize the use of diesel fuel."Here, solar refers to diesel fuel, meaning 31 million liters of diesel fuel. So, you can imagine the savings in terms of both costs and carbon footprint, which will be significantly reduced," said Muchtazar, when met at the Indonesia Stock Exchange Building on Friday, July 25, 2024.Furthermore, Muchtazar stated that the ESG program will not stop here. According to Muchtazar, the company is determined to become the world's largest and most responsible nickel producer by transforming nickel processing technology from thermal power to chemical processes."We are developing what is called HPAL, high pressure acid leaching, which uses chemical technology and results in a reduction in carbon emission intensity. It is very efficient and ultimately helps us achieve net zero by 2050," said Muchtazar.

The government plans to establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery research center in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. This was announced by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, during his speech at the International Battery Summit in Jakarta on Monday, July 29, 2024."We will have our own research center. Currently, it seems that Prof. Kartini (founder of the National Battery Research Institute) already has such research, but we (the government) want to create a larger research center in Morowali," said Luhut.The construction of this EV battery research center aims to position Indonesia as an active player in the development of electric vehicles, which have recently gained popularity. Luhut hopes that this research center will be a stepping stone for the electric vehicle industry in the country.Therefore, Luhut invites all relevant institutions to collaborate and become part of the development of this research center in Morowali. These institutions include various prominent universities in Indonesia.To achieve this goal, Luhut mentioned that the government is also sending dozens of young people abroad to study electric vehicle batteries. A total of 42 youths have been sent to China for this purpose.Additionally, the government is inviting several researchers from China to come to Morowali to help develop the EV battery research center.Indonesia has also established a recycling industry for electric motorcycle and car batteries in Morowali. According to him, EV battery recycling is an important part of building a green industry, one that respects environmental sustainability.

PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (INCO) is optimistic that nickel demand for electric vehicles (EVs) will remain strong, despite the sentiment of McKinsey & Company's research which states that 29% of electric car owners globally are considering switching to fossil-based fuel cars.Chief of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer of Vale Indonesia, Bernardus Irmanto, said nickel is the main material in the production of more efficient and durable batteries. On the other hand, improvements in battery technology will continue to require a stable supply of nickel.Bernardus underlined that nickel for electric car batteries has a high energy density, which provides a solution for a more durable range compared to other types of batteries."The production cost of nickel-based batteries, with continuous innovation, is also expected to gradually decrease and reduce the price of electric cars," Bernardus told Bloomberg Technoz, quoted Saturday (27/7/2024).The nickel processing complex operated by PT Vale Indonesia in Sorowako, South Sulawesi, Saturday (11/6/2022). (Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg)In addition, Bernardus said that the policies of countries in the world to encourage the production, sales and use of electric cars are also still very strong.Vale did not deny that there are currently challenges in the adoption of electric vehicles – one of which is in the form of infrastructure – conveyed in the research. However, that does not mean that EV adoption will not occur."It may only take longer than previously projected. After all, EVs are part of the solution to tackle climate change. Without EV adoption, it will be difficult for us to achieve the targets that have been agreed," he said.HPAL ProjectFurthermore, Bernardus said Vale's high pressure acid leaching (HPAL)-based refinery or smelter projects in Pomalaa and Sorowako are designed to meet the need for high-quality nickel required for EV batteries.Despite the challenges identified in the McKinsey & Company study, Bernardus said, Vale believes global demand for high-quality nickel will continue to increase as the world works to reduce carbon emissions and switch to cleaner energy sources."We will continue to work with various stakeholders to ensure that the infrastructure and technology that supports EVs can evolve in accordance with market needs," he said.Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif in a working meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia said that the nickel mine in Sorowako will be operational in 2027, while the HPAL smelter is in the process of drafting a definitive cooperation agreement with Huayou. The investment value reaches USD 2 billion.The factory will produce MHP which is a raw material for electric vehicle batteries. In addition, the processing facility is targeted to be able to produce 60,000 tons of nickel and 5,000 tons of cobalt per year in the form of MHP.Meanwhile, the nickel mine in Pomalaa will operate in 2026, where related to the HPAL smelter has signed a definitive agreement. The investment value reached USD 4.6 billion.The HPAL-based smelter project with a capacity of 120,000 tons of nickel in MHP format is located in the Pomalaa Block. This project is the result of INCO's joint venture with Huayou and Ford Motor Co which was signed in March last year, which formed a joint venture company called PT Kolaka Nickel Indonesia (KNI).For information, the McKinsey survey involved more than 3,000 respondents in 15 countries. The survey covers more than 80% of world car sales.The country with the most respondents who answered that they want to return to fuel cars is Australia with 49%, followed by the United States (46%), and Brazil (38%).The highest reason for those who want to return to fuel cars is inadequate electric charging facilities (35%). Others are expensive maintenance costs (34%) and difficulty driving long distances (32%).

State-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) and China’s battery giant, Contemporary Emperex Technology Co. (CATL), are developing midstream nickel industry.Chief Executive Officer of Antam, Nico Kanter, said both companies are preparing land for the industrial park, arranging the permits and carrying out feasibility study to finalize the midstream sector including Rotary Kiln-Electric Furnace (RKAF) and High Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL).“All are still on going” Nico Kanter said in Jakarta on Monday, July 22, 2024.Earlier reports reveal that the entire investment plan of CATL, amounting to USD 5.8 billion (IDR 90.50 trillion) has been finalized from upstream to downstream. Antam has completed the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) transactions for the shares of its subsidiaries − PT Sumberdaya Arindo (SDA) and PT Feni Haltim (FHT) − with CATL’s affiliate HongKong CBL Limited (HKCBL) at the Ministry of Investment in Jakarta on December 28, 2023.This share transaction marks the beginning of collaboration between Antam and CATL in the upstream mining, refining, and further processing of nickel derivatives into battery cells in the Dragon project undertaken by the global electric battery producer in Indonesia.Deputy Minister for Investment and Mining at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Septian Hario Seto, said that Antam, along with Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), has signed a Joint Venture Agreement with CATL for downstream projects related to their electric battery development cooperation in the country.The consortium is planning to realize investments in downstream facilities for cathode, precursor, and battery cell factories after completing the SPA signing on the upstream side.“The next stage of development downstream already has its timetable,” Seto said.The investment allocation will be absorbed gradually over a period of three to four years in line with the timeline of the electric battery industry’s construction phases.Antam and CBL made two transactions on December 28, 2023, including a share transaction for Antam’s subsidiary SDA and another for FHT. The SDA-HKCBL divestment transaction value, to be paid in cash by HKCBL to Antam, is USD 416.5 million or equivalent to IDR 6.5 trillion. Antam also holds a contingent right to receive payment if additional reserves are discovered in the SDA mining area within 36 months from the transaction date, i.e., December 28, 2023.

PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk (MDKA) demonstrates its commitment to significantly reducing carbon emissions through environmental conservation actions. The Merdeka Group continues to strive to explore potential improvements and alternative measures to achieve environmental ecosystem harmony.Indonesia targets a gradual reduction in emissions, starting at 29% and now aiming for 41% by 2030. This target aligns with the commitment to achieve Indonesia's net zero emissions by 2060.In its contribution, MDKA has also issued a Net Zero Commitment supported by a GHG Emissions Reduction Roadmap. This commitment targets a 50% reduction in emission intensity for copper and gold products and a 29% reduction for acid products.The Merdeka Group's strategy towards the Net Zero Commitment is pursued through energy substitution and efficiency, reclamation of mining operation areas, and land rehabilitation.In 2023, MDKA began using the TruCount emission calculation platform to measure, monitor, manage, and report GHG emissions. This platform is built based on two globally recognized standards, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14064-1:2018.The aim is to ensure the accuracy of MDKA's GHG calculations and compliance with international standards. The Merdeka Group, through its subsidiary PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI) which manages the Tujuh Bukit Mine operations in Banyuwangi, East Java, has already initiated energy substitution and efficiency initiatives by using electricity from renewable energy sources and B35 biodiesel for heavy mining equipment.Additionally, PT BSI routinely conducts environmental preservation activities such as releasing hatchlings, coral reef transplantation, mangrove planting, and more. PT BSI also collaborates extensively with environmental conservation agencies and community groups in these activities.With the same spirit as a tangible step to reduce carbon emissions, the Merdeka Group periodically undertakes various positive environmental actions based on reclamation and revegetation, such as planting mangrove seedlings in coastal areas and tourist parks, as part of World Mangrove Day.On this year's World Mangrove Day, Merdeka's headquarters in Jakarta involved 75 employees from the Head Office to symbolically plant 1,000 mangrove seedlings in Taman Wisata Angke, North Jakarta, and Muara Gembong, West Java.Mangrove seedlings planted by the Merdeka Copper Gold GroupRegular mangrove planting benefits ecosystem quality recovery, climate change mitigation, accelerated environmental rehabilitation, harmful carbon absorption, and protection of land from the threat of sea abrasion.The initiative of planting 1,000 mangrove seedlings by the Merdeka Group is estimated to absorb at least 25,000 kg of carbon per year through the 1,000 seedlings planted and grown into trees."Planting mangroves is part of our concern to free future generations from pollution. Climate change has caused weather anomalies impacting food and health," said PT Bumi Suksesindo (PT BSI) Director, Cahyono Seto, during his speech before the mangrove planting event at Taman Wisata Angke Jakarta, Thursday (July 25, 2024).Seto continued, the Merdeka Group's environmental actions conducted in each business unit not only aim to demonstrate the company's commitment but also involve employees in preventive efforts to avoid environmental damage.In addition to contributing to the environment through mangrove seedling planting, the Merdeka Group also builds collective awareness among employees through sustainable environmental conservation programs, resulting in positive real actions towards environmental sustainability.Furthermore, the Merdeka Group also reduces carbon emissions by using 100% New Renewable Energy (EBT) at the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine in Banyuwangi, East Java.The EBT supplied to the Tujuh Bukit Mine operations comes from the Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) in West Java. The use of EBT by BSI has led to a 100% reduction in Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions at this mining operation.Meanwhile, the Wetar Copper Mine is considering using solar panels to replace generators to support its operations.Merdeka's efforts to reduce GHG emissions from its operations also include transitioning to environmentally friendly energy, fuel savings, the use of biodiesel, and tree and mangrove planting.In 2023, the decarbonization initiative through the transition from B30 to B35 Biodiesel, a 35% biofuel blend that is more environmentally friendly, reduced emissions by 249.22 tons of CO2(e)."The Merdeka Group always prioritizes maximum environmental performance in reducing greenhouse gas effects. This commitment and hard work have earned Merdeka a global reputation in ESG management," added Seto.As a company with an ESG rating of A, based on Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) assessment since 2023, MDKA is committed to strengthening its reputation as a high ESG performance company. Positive environmental performance impacting ecosystems and communities is a fundamental principle that the Merdeka Group must uphold.

The Indonesian government officially launched the development of the Mineral and Coal Information System for Ministries and Institutions (SIMBARA) for tin and nickel commodities to complement the existing coal commodities. This launch was attended by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the Minister of Energy and Human Resources, Arifin Tasrif, and the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.Minister Arifin said that the presence of this application marks the government’s strong commitment to developing better, more efficient and transparent natural resource governance.“Today is a historic moment for the mineral and coal mining sector in Indonesia. We are very grateful to be able to participate in the launch of SIMBARA,” said Arifin in Jakarta, Monday, July 22 2024.The existence of SIMBARA, continued Arifin, is very strategic in the transformation of the mineral and coal mining sector in Indonesia.“SIMBARA is not just an information system, but also a comprehensive integration of various mining business processes from upstream to downstream involving various related Ministries, namely the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Finance,” continued Arifin.The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources through the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal has contributed and played an active role in strengthening SIMBARA by building a digital system in the form of the Minerba Online Monitoring System (MOMS) for coal, tin and nickel commodities which has been integrated into the SIMBARA system. Following this, other mineral commodities will be resolved on an ongoing basis.It is hoped that the use of SIMBARA can have an impact on optimizing state revenues and increasing the effectiveness of joint supervision between Ministries/Institutions. SIMBARA is also expected to be able to create an ecosystem that is able to monitor Government policies, improve the quality of service to business actors through single data entry, and utilize one reliable and accurate coal mineral data across Ministries and Institutions.“The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is committed to continuing to support the further development of SIMBARA, not only in terms of technical functionality, but also in the application of sustainable development principles. Thus, SIMBARA not only answers current needs, but also becomes a solid foundation for “a better future for the Indonesian mining industry,” said Arifin.On the same occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed the potential for increasing state revenues through the presence of this application.“I emphasized to them that the potential benefit of increasing state revenues of up to IDR 6.5 trillion is one of the reasons for accelerating this integration process in addition to increasing compliance by business actors and the effectiveness of joint supervision,” said Luhut.On the other hand, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that SIMBARA’s contribution to revenue was a small example of encouraging compliance by business actors. This includes encouraging business actors to settle receivables with an automatic blocking system (ABS). Entrepreneurs are also given convenience because at least since its initial launch in 2022, SIMBARA has simplified 10 systems into one system. Apart from that, 50 documents are coordinated in one door.“So the authority of the state is upheld, entrepreneurs cannot lobby the ministry. With this system we work neatly and consistently without causing trouble to the company because the company already knows its rights and obligations,” he concluded.Detection of Abuse of State Revenue TransactionsSIMBARA is also believed to be able to create higher efficiency and reduce corruption.“This system is also part of corruption prevention measures because the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was involved in its creation. This is joint work across ministries and institutions and I believe that if we do this together, efficiency in this country will be higher, making corruption less “That’s possible because you deal with machines and not with humans who can negotiate,” said Luhut.This system will also discipline workers who must work in accordance with the applicable system regardless of position or institution.“This system will have an impact on the environment, on workers because if they work in compliance with the applicable system then they will automatically be blocked by customs, they will not be able to export, whoever they are, whether they wear yellow, red or black clothes, whether they are police soldiers as backing, they cannot “This system will discipline us all,” said Luhut.Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif also agreed with SIMBARA, which is part of the action to prevent corruption, that since the implementation of SIMBARA, fraud has been detected by irresponsible parties.“Since the launch of SIMBARA, the government has detected several methods in the form of invalid use of NTPN (State Revenue Transaction Number), repeated use of NTPN and an unreasonable time period for NTPN use and avoidance of non-tax state revenues (PNBP) and local NTPN being used exports,” said Arifin.Minister Arifin hopes that SIMBARA will bring significant indications to stakeholders in the mining industry regarding the level of compliance with regulations, increase operational efficiency, strengthen transparency and accountability and provide support for sustainable development.“By utilizing SIMBARA, it is hoped that it can have an impact on optimizing state revenues and increasing the effectiveness of joint supervision between Ministries/Institutions,” concluded Arifin.

Indonesia has successfully produced nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate, the raw materials for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This success cannot be separated from the achievements of PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (Harita Nickel), a sustainable integrated nickel mining and processing company on Obi Island, South Halmahera district, North Maluku.Harita Nickel successfully applied high pressure acid leaching (HPAL) technology for the first time in Indonesia to produce raw materials for electric car batteries.Demand for nickel sulfate as a raw material for electric car battery cathode precursors is currently increasing. The reason is, the automotive industry began to shift to the trend of electric cars that are considered more environmentally friendly and support renewable energy.HPAL technology to produce nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate has been used in Indonesia since 2023. Through this technology, Indonesia is able to increase the added value of low-grade nickel ore, namely limonite, which initially could not be utilized (overburden) can now be processed into nickel derivative products with economic value.HPAL technology itself has been used in many countries, such as China, the Philippines and Cuba. However, some have failed to implement this complex hydrometallurgical technology.Nikel sulfat. (Istimewa)While in Indonesia, several nickel ore processing and refining plants have tried to apply HPAL technology since several years ago but have not been successful until now. Harita Nickel became a nickel processing company that successfully implemented HPAL for the first time in Indonesia.Harita Nickel's success in applying HPAL technology through its nickel processing plant, PT Halmahera Persada Lygend (HPL), as part of Harita Nickel, in 2021. At that time, only in the form of mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP).Harita Nickel's HPAL plant also produces MHP derivatives for electric car battery raw materials since 2023, namely nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate. Nickel sulfate will be a precursor material for lithium battery cathodes, while cobalt sulfate is a lithium battery cathode material.Deputy Department Head of Nickel Sulphate and Acid Plant Harita Nickel, Roy Martua Sigiro, revealed that the application of HPAL technology provides great benefits because it is able to convert low-grade nickel (limonite) into more valuable.“HPAL or High Pressure Acid Leaching technology is a low-grade nickel purification technology or what we often refer to as limonite which has never been processed. So far, it has only been dumped into overburden and only high grade nickel or saprolite has been processed,” Roy explained.“With the presence of this HPAL technology, we can process limonite into MHP or mixed hydroxide precipitate, nickel sulfate, and cobalt sulfate,” he added.In short, the production process begins with the preparation stage, namely melting low-grade nickel ore that was previously in the form of soil. The material is then put into the high pressure acid leaching stage using sulfuric acid and steam (high temperature steam).Roy explained, at this stage, the product enters a tube called an autoclave. After that, the nickel enters the neutralization stage and a number of other processes with the aim of removing unnecessary materials.“And after going through the MHP process, we will go through a process called solvent extraction to produce nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate. Then we will process the nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate solution again using a crystallization process to get nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate crystals as we have seen,” he explained.The resulting nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate crystals will be sold by size. But there are still a number of steps before nickel sulfate is transformed into an electric battery.Aktivitas di pabrik HPAL milik PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (Harita Nickel). (Istimewa)“After the cobalt sulfate and nickel sulfate will go to the battery precursor, after that the battery cathode. So if I can say the products produced by Harita Nickel are halfway to achieving electric batteries,” Roy explained.While Head of Technical Support Harita Nickel Rico Windy Albert said, nickel ore first passes through a coarse and fine screening stage to separate large materials such as rocks and wood, as well as other foreign objects. The filtered ore is then cleaned with water. Or the process in brief, explained by Nico, starts from the Ore Preparation stage, Grinding Station, Heating and Leasing, precipitation, acidity adjustment, MHP formation, and MHP processing.“The MHP processing is then further processed, including in the press, to produce final products such as nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate that are ready for market. Each stage in the process is highly coordinated, resulting in a quality end product,” he explains.Production SizeHead of Mining Engineering of PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (Harita Nickel) Primus Priyanto said, in 2024, it is planned that around 27 million combined high grade (saprolite) and low grade (limonite) nickel ore will be supplied or sent to all refining processing plants that have been operating at the Obi Site.“The total ore inventory reaches about 3.9 million tons for saprolite ore and about 15 million tons for limonite ore. The ore inventory comes from all stockpiles at Harita Nickel. The amount of inventory is able to ensure the availability of ore supply for all mills for the next 5 or 6 months,” Primus explained.Limonite nickel ore will be supplied to the HPAL Plant which has a capacity of 8.3 million tons to be processed into MHP and its derivatives.“The consumption capacity of limonite nickel ore is around 8.3 million. And the output in the form of MHP or mixed hydroxide precipitate is around 365 thousand tons of MHP. Where the nickel content is around 45% and the cobalt content is around 5%,” he explained.Meanwhile, saprolite nickel ore is sent to two smelters using the rotary kiln-electric furnace (RKEF) method to become ferronickel. The total capacity of the two RKEF smelters, namely the PT Megah Surya Pertiwi (MSP) Factory, PT Halmahera Jaya Feronikel (HJF) Factory, reaches 11 million tons per year.Nickel is a material that can be relied upon for various needs, ranging from the use of spoon-fork materials, surgical instruments in hospitals, car wheels, and of course for electric vehicle battery materials.Nickel-based batteries have the advantage of being able to store greater electrical energy and last longer. In addition, nickel-based batteries have high resistance to climate differences.Aktivitas di pabrik HPAL milik PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (Harita Nickel). (Istimewa)This makes cars that use nickel-based batteries suitable for users who often travel long distances or are in areas with extreme temperatures. This advantage makes nickel sulfate material continue to be targeted as a raw material for electric vehicle batteries.In 2019, nickel researchers from Wood Mazkenzie, a global provider of data and analysis for energy transition, said consumption of nickel as nickel sulfate increased by 28 percent or 162 kilotons. The largest consumption came from China. By 2025, global nickel consumption for electric vehicle batteries is expected to rise to 265 kilotons.The large demand for this industry makes nickel sulfate production increasingly carried out globally, including Indonesia, which is known to have the largest nickel reserves in the world.Wood Mazkenzie revealed that nickel production is now still dominated by Asian countries, such as China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. While Indonesia, which also supplies nickel products, the amount of production continues to skyrocket every year.The success of Harita Nickel in producing raw materials for electric car batteries with HPAL technology makes Indonesia already halfway to producing electric car batteries independently. It is not even impossible that Indonesia can produce its own electric car.