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Vale and Huayou break ground in Pomalaa as construction begins
PT Vale Indonesia Tbk. and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. officially commemorated the start of the development of their Pomalaa Block project in Koloka on Sunday (27/11/2022).
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Southeast Sulawesi Governor Ali Mazi attends the groundbreaking of the construction of the Pomalaa Block. The governor signalled his full support of the project as it aligns with the government’s economic development in the province and program to reduce carbon emissions.
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T Vale Indonesia Tbk. and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. officially commemorated the start of the development of their Pomalaa Block project in Koloka on Sunday (27/11/2022). The South Sulawesi project will operate under PT Kolaka Nickel Indonesia (KNI), with a total investment package of Rp 67.5 trillion (US$4.29 billion) for high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) processing and the mine. It is expected to generate roughly 12,000 construction jobs in the area.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a major stepping stone that positions PT Vale to supply sustainable and responsibly sourced nickel well into the future. We believe Indonesia has a critical role to play in the global electrification and decarbonization mega-trends, with the potential to become the most sustainable nickel producer in Asia with the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. We are committed to playing an active role in this journey,” said Eduardo Bartolomeo, CEO of Vale, who was present at the event.
The HPAL Pomalaa project is expected to be one of the largest nickel smelters in the world and was inaugurated by Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan. He attended the event alongside Southeast Sulawesi Governor Ali Mazi and Kolaka Regent Ahmad Safei.
Deshnee Naidoo, PT Vale president commissioner, noted Indonesia’s potential to be a key player in the global energy transition, adding that the ceremony gave everyone a glimpse of the future Indonesia was working toward.
“We are proud to begin the development of the Pomalaa block, which will be a crucial part of Indonesia’s efforts to accelerate downstream nickel production. This project is critical to our growth agenda and marks the newest chapter in PT Vale’s 54-year contribution to Indonesia,” said Febriany Eddy, CEO of PT Vale. She reiterated that the project would not be powered by coal, in line with PT Vale and Huayou’s core values and ESG standards.
The Pomalaa project has been designated as a National Strategic Project using Huayou’s HPAL technology to generate up to 120,000 tonnes of nickel per year. It is targeted to produce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), which is generally used to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles.
It is hoped that the Pomalaa HPAL Block and its products will continue PT Vale’s commitment to contributing to global and Indonesian electrification and decarbonization initiatives, as well as advancing the country’s manifestation to be a major player in the electronic vehicle (EV) industry.
“We support PT Vale Indonesia. We are excited for this project, which will support downstream economic development of the nickel industry within the province. It is also a project that aligns with the government’s economic priorities and program to reduce carbon emissions,” concluded Governor Ali.
