President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia, Tonny Wenas, said that his party had succeeded in reducing carbon emission production by 20 - 24 percent until 2023 because the company changed several operational fuels. "This is our effort to contribute to reducing carbon emissions as recommended by the government," said Tonny Wenas at an event entitled 'Reducing Emissions in Indonesia's Mining Sector' which was held at the Kempinski hotel, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (26/09). One of them is changing the transportation of copper ore from trucks to electric trains. Tonny Wenas explained that initially his party transported copper ore from the mining area using hundreds of trucks. He detailed that around 300 tons of copper ore were transported using 150 trucks a day. Tonny Wenas believes that truck activity increases the production of carbon emissions in a day. "So imagine how much carbon emissions come out of burning fossils and fuel," said Tony. Because of this, his party started switching to electric trains.Since using electric trains, the company can transport 110 thousand tons of copper ore from the lower mine. He also added that electric trains are considered faster in delivering mining products compared to trucks. Apart from using electric trains, PT Freeport Indonesia also uses alternative fuels to reduce carbon emissions, namely new fuels in the form of B30 (30 percent biodiesel and 70 percent diesel fuel), B40 (40 percent biodiesel and 60 percent diesel fuel) and B50 ( 50 percent biodiesel and 50 percent diesel fuel) as operational fuel for several tools. "This also helps us reduce carbon emissions that occur from upstream and downstream," he said. Now, the mining company located in Mimika district, Central Papua has formed a special team to look for innovative new energy sources to replace fossils to be used in mining production. With various efforts, he believes PT Freeport Indonesia can achieve a 60 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2060.Image source: ptfi.co.idSource: www.thepapuajournal.com/PT Freeport Indonesia Berhasil Kurangi 24 Persen Emisi Karbon

PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk (MDKA) through its subsidiary PT Merdeka Battery Materials Tbk (MBMA), is increasingly aggressively downstreaming nickel to encourage the electric vehicle supply chain. This is proven by MBMA through collaboration with its strategic partners Tsingshan, CATL and Huayou."MBMA, together with Tsingshan, CATL and Huayou, is well positioned in its long-term strategy to maximize the value of its portfolio of high-quality assets from upstream to downstream expansion projects to produce critical materials to support the rapidly growing value of electric vehicles," said MBMA President Director Devin Ridwan , Monday (18/9/2023).MBMA's commitment is further strengthened after releasing its initial shares in April 2023 and obtaining fresh funds of IDR 9.2 trillion, MBMA has made significant progress in expanding and developing business along the battery value chain located in Central Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The company uses these funds to finance the construction and development of existing and developing projects.The 2023 Capex allocation so far includes the completion of the haul road from the SCM mine which will start sending nickel ore to IMIP, completion of the AIM project, initial production of ZHN's third RKEF facility as well as the acquisition of PT Huaneng Metal Industry (HNMI).Currently MBMA has three processing plants (smelters) with Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technology which produce nickel pig iron (NPI), namely PT Cahaya Smelter Indonesia, PT Bukit Smelter Indonesia, and PT Zhao Hui Nickel (ZHN) with a total installed capacity of 88,000 tons of nickel in NPI per year .In the last quarter, NPI (Nickel Pig Iron) nickel production reached 11,870 tons with an All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) of 13,459 US dollars/ton. MBMA also achieved more than 7.5 million working hours without Loss Time Injury (LTI) which is proof of MBMA's commitment to employee safety throughout its operations. On May 31 2023, MBMA completed the acquisition of 60% shares in PT Huaneng Metal Industry (HNMI), which has a high grade nickel matte (HGNM) conversion facility in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) area.MBMA also plans to build a nickel smelting plant with High-Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) technology, with a capacity of 120,000 tons each, which will be built in the Indonesia Konawe Industrial Park (IKIP) complex.The construction of this factory will be carried out in two stages, with the first operational stage amounting to 60,000 tons. This factory will take limonite from the Sulawesi Cahaya Minerals (SCM) mine, which is one of the largest nickel resources in the world in accordance with the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC).MBMA believes it can take advantage of the opportunity to downstream the electric vehicle battery value chain. MBMA strives to meet the world's electric motor vehicle battery needs in the future."We aspire to become a leading integrated battery materials company and have a high commitment to implementing ESG ( Environment, Social & Governance ) standards," said Devin again.Image source: CNBC Indonesia/Verda Nano SetiawanSource: www.cnbcindonesia.com/MBMA Dorong Hilirisasi Nikel Demi Keberlangsungan Baterai EV

Indonesia has committed to the “uninterrupted supply” of its coal to the Philippines, specifically in cases of supply constraints, as demand steadily recovers, the Department of Energy (DOE) said last week.Following his agency’s meeting with other members of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga), Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla explained to reporters that the neighboring country would make sure that the Philippines “continues to have access to regular coal supply.”“As you know, almost 80 percent of our coal supply for our coal-fired power plants and for nonpower uses is sourced abroad. It’s imported,” Lotilla said, adding that 98 percent of imported coal came from Indonesia.In August, the DOE met with the BIMP-Eaga country members for the 41st Asean ministers on energy meeting on sustainable energy security and interconnectivity.Coal importation from Indonesia was among the key discussions, Lotilla said, as the Philippines remained largely dependent on this fossil fuel for power.While the national government aims to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix from the current 22 percent to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, Lotilla himself had previously admitted that the Philippines could not immediately retire its coal plants.China says visit by Syria's Assad to push ties to 'new level' China says visit by Syria's Assad to push ties to 'new level'Indonesia’s commitment came after its supply for domestic use had stabilized in the aftermath of the pandemic.In January 2022, Indonesia implemented a monthlong ban on the export of coal, as a state-owned electric company lamented that it was running low on supply for power.Then Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi appealed to Indonesia to end the moratorium, saying that the policy would be “detrimental to economies that rely on coal-fired power generation systems, like the Philippines.”The Indonesian government later lifted the ban, after coal exporters complied with their domestic market obligation rules and local demand was met.“Now they gave an assurance that they will make sure we will have an uninterrupted supply … For a BIMP-Eaga member like the Philippines that is importing coal from Indonesia, we can have arrangements whenever there are [supply] constraints,” Lotilla said.Image source: CONTRIBUTED PHOTOSource: www.business.inquirer.net/Indonesia Commits To Supply PH Coal

PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia received a working visit from the Deputy Minister of BUMN of the Republic of Indonesia Kartiko Wirjoatmodjo in the Mempawah Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery (SGAR) construction area, West Kalimantan.The visit is a step by the Ministry of BUMN in supporting the implementation of national strategic projects to meet alumina needs in Indonesia.During the visit, Deputy Minister Kartiko reviewed the progress of the Smelter construction, which had begun the construction process in 2019. During the visit, it was seen that the progress of the Mempawah SGAR construction had reached 68 percent, with a target of completion in 2024.The SGAR project will connect the supply chain between the bauxite ore mineral (West Kalimantan) and the aluminum smelting plant (INALUM).If it is operational, it is calculated that it can produce 1 million tons of alumina per year (raw material 3.3 million tons of bauxite per year). It is targeted to start production in 2024 and reach full production capacity in 2025.The Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery in Mempawah is a strategic project carried out collaboratively by Inalum and Antam through Inalum's subsidiary, namely PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia (BAI).SGAR Mempawah is part of INALUM's corporate action in creating an integrated aluminum industry ecosystem from upstream to downstream.Inalum hopes to continue to get support from all stakeholders so that Indonesia's dreams can be achieved quickly and national aluminum downstreaming can quickly be realized.Present during the visit were MIND ID Portfolio and Business Development Director Dilo Seno Widagdo and PT INALUM Main Director Danny Praditya, INALUM Business Development Director Melati Sarnita and BAI Main Director Leonard Manurung.Several other corporate actions were carried out by Inalum in order to increase production capacity in response to the high potential of the national aluminum market which currently has a demand of up to 1 million tons.These projects include the Reduction Furnace Technology Upgrading Project which will be completed in 2023, the Kuala Tanjung Smelter Optimization which is targeted to increase production capacity in 2024-2025 and the IAA Aluminum Remelt Diversification Project.Image source: pewarta.coSource: www.pewarta.co/Pembangunan Smelter Alumina 68 Persen Hilirisasi Industri Aluminium Nasional Hampir Lengkap

Delta Dunia Makmur Tbk (Delta Dunia Group) or (DOID), the parent company of PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama (BUMA), BUMA Australia Pty Ltd (BUMA Australia), PT Bukit Teknologi Digital (B-TECH), and PT BISA Ruang Nuswantara (BIRU), reported strong volume and EBITDA growth, as well as the lowest Net Debt to EBITDA ratio in the First semester of 2023.Dian Andyasuri, Director of Delta Dunia Group, said that until semester I - 2023, total revenue increased 19 percent on an annual basis to USD 0.86 billion (IDR 13.35 trillion).Strong operational performance was demonstrated by producing 286 million bank cubic meters (BCM), an increase in overburden (OB) volume of 10% YoY, and 42 million metric tons (MT) of coal, an increase in coal production of 2% YoY.EBITDA rose to USD 175 million (Rp2.71 trillion), an increase of 7% YoY, demonstrating the Group's operational strength.Despite industry challenges, the Group maintained strong margins, with a slight decline of 3% YoY, primarily due to inflationary pressures in its Indonesian operations. In contrast, Australia managed to maintain its margins despite increased costs from new contracts. Net profit decreased slightly to USD 5 million (IDR 77.63 billion), down 13% YoY, largely due to higher funding increases as a result of an increase in the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR).Capital expenditure (Capex) amounted to USD 44 million (IDR 683.14 billion), a decrease of 47% YoY, the result of the successful completion of several projects in Indonesia.Operational Cash Flow (OCF) increased to USD 143 million (IDR 2.22 trillion) due to an increase in EBITDA, resulting in positive Free Cash Flow (FCF) of USD 105 million (IDR 1.63 trillion).Cash balance of USD 218 million (IDR 3.38 trillion) at the end of Semester I 2023Strong financial health with a Net Debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.99x, the lowest in the last five years, reflects prudent and disciplined financial management in a capital-intensive industry.Apart from that, in September 2023, BUMA recorded a significant achievement by receiving the first Sharia syndicated financing in the company's history. The total value of the financing facility is USD 60 million (IDR 931.56 billion), with PT. Bank Muamalat Indonesia Tbk. as Mandated Lead Arranger (MLA), facility agent, and guarantee agent with a financing value of USD 50 million (IDR 776.3 billion).Dian Andyasuri, Director of Delta Dunia Group, said, "In the midst of tough challenges, we not only managed to weather the storm but also recorded revenue growth. Results in the first H of 2023 reflect the transformation of our core business, along with efforts to diversify revenue sources.In the first half of the year, we achieved a significant change in the composition of our revenues, with Metallurgical and Infrastructure coal accounting for 18%, marking a significant step towards reducing the proportion of revenues derived from thermal coal production, which now stands at 82%."This progress is a continuation of Delta Dunia Group's results in 2022 (FY2022), when metallurgical coal revenues only reached 13%."During the first semester of 2023, Delta Dunia Group achieved significant progress in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives. The Group succeeded in achieving an extraordinary ranking as the second best performing company in the global coal sub-industry, also achieving a position in the 15% of the best performing companies in the world oil and gas industry, based on the Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating assessment.Delta Dunia Group substantially improved its ESG Risk Rating score from 42.4 in 2022 to 32.7 in July 2023, marking an improvement of 10 points (or 25%). In line with its commitment to ESG, Delta Dunia Group inaugurated its social subsidiary, PT BISA Ruang Nuswantara (BIRU) in September 2023. In addition, BUMA Australia is actively developing its mine rehabilitation and closure services, working at four operational locations.Dian emphasized that in Sustainalytics' assessment, Delta Dunia Group excels in various key areas, including carbon-related products and services such as carbon emission management in our operations, corporate governance practices, community engagement, and occupational health and safety measures, as well as emissions, waste, as well as waste handling. Persistent efforts to effectively mitigate carbon emissions have changed our classification from high risk to a more moderate level of carbon management. We have diligently advanced mine rehabilitation and closure initiatives at our Australian operations, with successful rehabilitation and environmental project outcomes spanning more than two decades. In addition, by inaugurating BIRU, we aim to contribute further to the sustainable development agenda in Indonesia.The scope is to improve the skills of local workers to be globally competitive through education tailored to industry needs and supporting social entrepreneurship. Everything is done while maintaining our firm commitment to environmental preservation, explained Dian.At the same time, Delta Dunia Group continued its share buyback program and acquired 1,285 million shares purchased until August 4 2023, representing 14.9% of the Company's outstanding shares."Delta Dunia Group's performance in the first half underscores our commitment to sustainable growth, financial strength and dedication to environmental responsibility. The Group maintains its strong focus on delivering value to stakeholders while pioneering positive change in the industry, as we continue to grow and diversify our business," concluded Dian.Image source: www.emitennews.comSource: www.emitennews.com/Delta Dunia Grup DOID Catatkan Kemajuan Dalam Inisiatif ESG Di Semester I 2023

PT Ifishdeco Tbk. (IFSH) signed an amendment to the credit facility agreement with PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk on September 26, 2023. Muhammad Ishaq, Director of IFSH in his written statement Friday (29/9) said that IFSH had amended the credit agreement revolving working capital of IDR 30 billion and transactional working capital credit of IDR 170 billion with PT Bank Mandiri Tbk (BMRI).M. Ishaq explained that in this amendment IFSH and Bank Mandiri also agreed to extend the due date for 1 year to September 2024. "The purpose of this loan is for additional working capital and working capital for nickel production and IFSH's business development," he said.This transaction is an exempted material transaction and not an affiliated transaction in accordance with OJK regulations in POJK No.17 and 42/POJK/2020. M. Ishaq added that the acquisition of this loan has no material adverse impact on IFSH's financial condition, operational activities or business continuity.Image source: www.ifishdeco.comSource: www.bareksa.com/Ifishdeco IFSH Teken Perubahan Perjanjian Kredit Dengan BMRI Rp200 Miliar

NICKEL Industries (NIC) is committed to producing environmentally friendly nickel products that produce little carbon. One way is to collaborate with PT Sumber Energi Surya Nusantara (SESNA), a renewable energy company that focuses on developing solar energy.NIC Sustainability Manager Muchtazar said that his party is committed together with SESNA to reduce the carbon footprint in order to produce clean and sustainable nickel. The use of solar power plants (PLTS) is considered a concrete step to reduce carbon emissions. "This is one of the efforts we are making to reduce our carbon footprint, including through collaboration with SESNA and making our energy use more efficient," said Muchtazar.The nickel mining and processing area in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, he added, has large solar energy potential, making it very possible for nickel production operations. Collaboration with SESNA is considered a very strategic collaboration. Based on the evaluation results of a number of renewable energy potentials such as hydropower, wind and solar, it turns out that solar power plants (PLTS) have great potential to be used to produce nickel."We are very happy to collaborate with SESNA as a solar power provider from Indonesia. So, we want to prioritize local partners because we want the company's existence to contribute positively to Indonesia's development," said Muchtazar. As a start, the NIC project, through its subsidiary, PT Hengjaya Mineralindo, began utilizing hybrid PLTS with an initial capacity of 395 kilowatt peak (kWp) to see the advantages of using solar energy sources. The use of PLTS developed by SESNA is intended to support mining operations and employee mess. Seeing the good performance of this project, NIC then continued developing the project with a larger capacity, namely 200 megawatt peak (MWp) to be used as an energy source for nickel processing activities or smelters in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park area. "So far we are very satisfied with this collaboration and want to immediately increase the energy capacity produced from solar power, both in our mines and smelters in the future," said Muchtazar.The use of PLTS is in line with the sustainability program carried out by Nickel Industries, especially in the environmental pillar. NIC strives to produce nickel that is environmentally friendly or has a low carbon footprint. Currently, nickel is said to be one of the raw materials used to manufacture various products, one of which is electric vehicle (EV) battery products. Therefore, it is hoped that the use of PLTS can produce nickel that is processed sustainably.Muchtazar also denied that the operational costs incurred for using EBT were quite expensive. According to him, PLTS can actually save more costs. "In collaboration with SESNA, this renewable energy can be obtained at the same cost or even cheaper than conventional. So actually by implementing EBT we can also save in the long term," said Muchtazar.NIC hopes that the cooperation in developing PLTS with SESNA can be sustainable in the future so that the nickel mining and processing business can continue to run well. Nickel Industries' reputation in the world of nickel mining is quite respected. In early September 2023, this company received the Sustainability title from the TrenAsia ESG Awards. SESNA is a local renewable energy company that focuses on developing PLTS projects. The focus is as a solution provider starting from the development process, engineering, procurement & construction, as well as operations & maintenance. SESNA also provides a zero capex or solar rental investment scheme for the mining industry interested in transitioning to renewable energy more efficiently. (RO/Z-2)Image source: ANTARASource: www.mediaindonesia.com/Ingin Hasilkan Nikel Ramah Lingkungan Nickel Industries Bangun PLTS

PT Amman Mineral Internasional Tbk. (AMMN) predicts capital expenditure absorption of USD 980 million or around IDR 14.7 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of IDR 15,000 per USD) in 2023.Until the first H of 2023, AMMN absorbed capex of USD 436 million (IDR 6.54 trillion), with details of capital expenditure related to the need to purchase mining equipment, build and upgrade supporting facilities for Phase 7 ore mining activities and Phase 8 overburden removal ( sustaining capex) of USD 132 million.Furthermore, smelter capital expenditure amounted to USD  92 million, processing plant expansion amounted to USD  166 million, and gas and steam power plants (PLTGU) and LNG facilities amounted to USD  46 million."AMMN is expected to spend USD 980 million in capital expenditure in the second semester of 2023," he explainedMeanwhile, for the construction of the smelter, AMMN estimates a completion target of more than 70 percent in December 2023. After the completion of the smelter mechanics in May 2024 (if there is no force majeure). "We will focus on smelter commissioning and start production of the first copper cathodes around 4-5 months later," explained AMMN management.Target 2023AMMN targets copper and gold production growth throughout 2023 which is expected to boost financial performance in semester II/2023. AMMN management explained that throughout 2023, it is targeting concentrate production of 610,000 dry metric tons. Meanwhile, the copper production target is 337 million pounds. "Throughout 2023, AMMN targets gold production to be 529 kilo ounces," wrote management, quoted Friday (29/9/2023). Throughout H I/2023, Management claims that AMMN's mining operations are running efficiently and are on track to match the total number of metric tons mined in fiscal year 2022, despite several external challenges.From October 2022 to April 2023, the Batu Hijau mine experienced unprecedentedly high rainfall, causing delays in mining fresh ore from Phase 7. As a result, mining was fully diverted to Phase 8 overburden stripping, which will allow faster access to Phase 8 fresh ore than originally scheduled.After the rainy season passed and the dry season began, AMMN increased pit water pumping so it could access high-grade Phase 7 ore sooner than originally planned in July 2023.Copper processing continued at full capacity throughout semester I/2023, despite delays in Phase 7 ore mining and product shipments. AMMN succeeded in producing 134 million pounds of copper and 172 kilo ounces of gold. Meanwhile, for sales, AMMN recorded copper sales reaching 76 million pounds with an average selling price of USD 4.48 per pound and gold sales of 119 kilo ounces with an average selling price of USD 2,004 per ounce. On the other hand, AMMN budgeted capital expenditure with details of sustainable capital expenditure of USD 332 million, smelter and PMR of USD 365 million, processing plant expansion of USD 469 million and gas and steam power plants and LNG facilities of USD 226 million.Image source: market.bisnis.comSource: www.market.bisnis.com/AmmanMineral AMMN Siapkan Capex Rp147 Triliun Pada 2023

The application of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles in the business world is also starting to be implemented in the Indonesian Mining Industry. PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) or (EXCL) through XL Axiata Business Solutions (XLABS) offers innovative solutions that can support mining companies' efforts to implement "green mining" in their operations with a Private Network." Implementing this solution will be able to increase the efficiency of using electricity and gas, thereby potentially reducing carbon emissions by up to 20%.XL Axiata Chief Enterprise and SME Officer, Feby Sallyanto, said that digitalization in the mining industry sector continues to be developed through various initiatives towards environmentally friendly mining standards. These efforts are realized, among other things, through digitalization, namely by modifying processes to increase the efficiency of using electric and gas energy, diverting it to energy sources with much lower carbon emissions. “This step has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 5% to 20%. "Apart from that, it is also possible to replace diesel-fueled mining trucks with electric trucks or hydrogen-fueled trucks." he said in a release Thursday (21/9).According to Feby, Private Network is a solution that really supports "green mining" operations, because it will be very suitable for use by mining industry players. This solution is able to support increased productivity through automation, reduce costs by implementing fleet management with IoT (Internet of Things) technology, and can indirectly increase employee safety levels regarding potential work accidents because employees do not need to go to dangerous areas.Feby added that Private Network connectivity has characteristics that many network infrastructures in general do not have. Private Networks have a high level of reliability, speed and security so they are very suitable for applications that require low latency. This technology covers a very wide area and can support data transfer between network areas."As we know, the mining industry is an industry that uses very large amounts of energy, so it will produce higher carbon emissions than other industries. "By implementing green mining with a private network, we invite the mining industry in Indonesia to contribute and support Indonesia's target of reducing carbon emissions by 43.2% in 2030," continued Feby.The XL Axiata Private Network has been used by several mining industries in Indonesia, two of which are the largest mining industries in Indonesia, namely PT Vale Indonesia and PT Pamapersada Nusantara (PAMA).  XLABS explained the discussion regarding "Green Mining with Private Networks" at the Nickel & Battery Summit 2023, last August. In this event, XLABS had the opportunity to introduce products and services as an ICT Partner with trusted integrated services to hundreds of mining industry participants in Indonesia. Apart from green mining solutions via Private Network, several Integrated ICT solutions from XLABS were also offered at the event.Image source: www.emitennews.comSource: www.emitennews.com/XL Axiata Excl Bidik Perusahaan Tambang Lewat Business Solutions

The downstreaming of nickel initiated by PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (NCKL) or Harita Nickel was able to deliver the economic growth of North Maluku province to the highest nationally.According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the record for the highest economic growth in Indonesia was achieved by North Maluku at 23.89% on an annual basis (year-on-year/yoy) in the second quarter of 2023.One of the drivers of North Maluku's economic growth was the rapid performance of the mining and quarrying sector by up to 64% yoy, followed by the processing industry which managed to grow 48.12% yoy.In terms of employment, mining and quarrying and processing are able to contribute more than 50% in accumulation to the GRDP structure of North Maluku as of the second quarter of 2023.On a quarterly basis, the two industries experienced the highest business growth, where mining and quarrying was 23.24%, followed by the processing industry at 15.71%.This brilliant growth certainly did not happen without cause, NCKL's work as a downstream nickel business player helped increase North Maluku's economic growth through its subsidiary PT Trimegah Bangun Persada (TBP) Tbk.TBP has a nickel mine located on Obi Island, South Halmahera, North Maluku Province. Mining operations have been running since 2010, and then continue to carry out transformations in advancing the industry by downstreaming nickel.The company's nickel downstreaming efforts began with the establishment of the first smelter with Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technology in 2016. Its work continues to produce second quality nickel that can be processed for stainless steel to raw materials for electric vehicle batteries.This project to increase the added value of nickel received a special place from the government which placed the Obi Island Industrial Area as a National Strategic Project in 2020.The following year, Harita Nickel's pioneering spirit returned to advance the nickel industry by establishing a limonite nickel refinery using High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) technology. However, at that time the refinery made by Harita Nickel had just produced an intermediate product which was a mixture of nickel and cobalt, Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP).The refinery with this technology is the first to operate in Indonesia, even the results of nickel refining are claimed to have a lower carbon footprint and have a matte form making it easier to process further.October 2022, Harita Nickel inaugurated the operation of the second RKEF smelter with a production capacity of 780,000 tons of ferronickel per year. A total of 3 nickel ore processing and refining plants are operated by this nation-owned company using two different technologies.Harita Nickel's steps did not stop there. Seven months later, exactly at the end of May 2023 Harita Nickel successfully continued downstream by purifying MHP into the final product, nickel sulfate (NiSO4). The success of nickel sulfate production again makes Harita Nickel a pioneer in Indonesia and is the largest nickel sulfate factory in the world which has a production capacity of up to 240 thousand tons per year. This outstanding record makes Indonesia increasingly considered as a major player in the global electric vehicle battery industry.The latest news is that the third RKEF smelter is in the process of being built and is expected to officially operate in 2025. Not only that, the second HPAL refinery will also be intensified to be operational by the middle of next year.The rapid development of the factory in recent years also does not deny the need for more workers. As of June 30, 2023, the group's permanent and contract employees totaled 9,248, up from 9,168 at the end of March and 7,730 at the end of 2022.Downstreaming also increasingly shows real achievements in the performance of North Maluku nickel exports, during the first six months of this year nickel export growth shot up to 46.69% yoy to USD 833.01 billion. In the same period, volume also increased rapidly from the previous 105.99 billion kilograms to 157.79 kilograms, a jump of 48.86% yoy.The performance of nickel exports has helped support North Maluku's trade balance which remains in surplus at USD 3.23 billion, even though the overall export and import performance of the province is still down 7.67% and 10.27% respectively compared to last May, according to data from BPS.On the other hand, it should also be acknowledged that North Maluku's rapid economic growth is also driven by Central Halmahera Regency, which has the highest growth. In 2022, the district's economic growth will reach 102.31% yoy, far surpassing South Halmahera, where the Harita factory operates, at 21.34% yoy.Comparison of Economic Growth Rate of Districts/Cities in 2022 across North Maluku Province (in %)This is the result of the contribution from Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP), which serves as an integrated industrial zone for heavy metal processing. It is situated in Lelilef Village, Weda District, Central Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province.Image source: Harita GroupSource: www.cnbcindonesia.com/KontribusiNCKL Bawa Ekonomi Maluku Utara Jadi Nomor 1 Di RI