TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
RI nickel reserves could be depleted in 15 years, minister warns
Indonesia may see its nickel reserve depleted in less than two decades following high annual production amid increase demand from smelting facilities, a senior minister has said.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Adding value: A nickel smelter operated by Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (VDNI) in Morosi, Southeast Sulawesi, is seen from the air on Feb. 10, 2023. Indonesia has banned exports of mineral ores, while pushing its downstreaming policy. (AFP/Adek Berry)
I
ndonesia may see its nickel reserves depleted in less than two decades as a result of high annual production amid increased demand from smelting facilities, a senior minister has warned.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif has forecast that at current nickel ore consumption, the world’s largest nickel producer has around 15 years until its deposits run out.
The minister told reporters on Friday he did not rule out the possibility there could be a longer reserve life if the country “was not wasteful in the use of nickel.”
To further extend the reserves, the ministry will continue to attract more investment for exploration projects and develop recycling facilities for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, he said.
Nickel has become one of Indonesia’s top selling points to attract EV investment from leading producers such as Tesla and BYD. The country is setting itself up as one of the world’s EV hubs, banking on its huge nickel reserves, which are deemed essential to produce EV batteries.
Read also: IMF reignites debate over Indonesia’s nickel export ban
Indonesia has a total of 22.3 billion tonnes of nickel ore reserves, consisting of proven reserves and estimated reserves of 5.3 billion and 17 billion tonnes, respectively, according to Arifin, referring to the weight of the ore.
