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Eramet to help Indonesia find lithium deposits
The partnership is expected to explore new mineral deposits, including a potential one in Bledug Kluwu in Central Java.
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A photo shows the logo of French mining and metallurgy group Eramet at the entrance to its headquarters in the Paris suburb of Trappes in France on March 16, 2023. (AFP/EMMANUEL DUNAND)
T
he Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has agreed to partner with French mining group Eramet to explore the country’s deposits of critical minerals, including lithium, which has not been discovered.
The partnership is expected to explore new mineral deposits that will strengthen the country’s ambition to become a global hub for electric vehicles (EVs).
“Eramet is working with the Geology Agency to explore [areas of potential deposits],” Geology Agency head Muhammad Wafid told reporters on Tuesday.
Wafid said lithium was an important mineral for Indonesia if the country wanted to become a critical player in the global electric battery industry. Indonesia, he said, currently had discovered and secured nickel and cobalt, but it has yet to discover lithium. The three minerals are key materials in the production of EV batteries.
Indonesia is well-endowed with nickel, accounting for 37 percent of global nickel production and 22 percent of international reserves, but lacks lithium. The country is naturally very ambitious to become a regional battery production hub and eventually a center for the EV industry but it needs lithium, a critical component for the car battery industry.
Read also: Battery evolution erodes Indonesia's nickel edge
The government has tried to strengthen ties with Australia, the world’s largest lithium producer, by signing an agreement to double the import quota of lithium to 120,000 tonnes per year.
