JAKARTA, Aug 6 (NNN-ANTARA) – Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, said yesterday that, the country generated 33.9 billion U.S. dollars in nickel export value last year, driven by the growth of its nickel downstream industry.
He attributed the surge in export value to the government’s ban on nickel ore exports, announced in 2019, and implemented on Jan 1, 2020.
According to Bahlil, nickel downstreaming has also influenced global perceptions of Indonesia, with the country’s achievements in this sector intensifying global business competition.
“Even though I know the competition is fierce now, there are other countries that are conducting smear campaigns against Indonesia’s natural resource management, portraying it as environmentally unfriendly,” he said.
Data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, shows that, Indonesia holds around 43 percent of the world’s nickel reserves. Building on this strength, the country is pushing its nickel downstream industry to advance further, aiming to establish itself as a global hub for electric vehicle battery production.
The ministry’s data indicates that, processing nickel ore into nickel sulfate increases its value by up to 11.4 times. Further processing into precursor products boosts the value 19.4 times, and producing battery cell products can raise the added value by as much as 67.7 times.– NNN-ANTARA
