Indonesia's Antam will start construction of a new nickel smelter, HPAL, in 2025

According to foreign reports on March 25th, Indonesian state-owned mining company Aneka Tambang (Antam) plans to commence the construction of two nickel processing facilities next year.

This project will produce materials for electric vehicle batteries, which is part of Indonesia's broader plan to establish itself as a center for electric vehicle production.

This year, companies involved in constructing the factories are conducting feasibility studies, including the construction of a Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) factory to process nickel into matte, and a High-Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) factory to extract materials for electric vehicle batteries from nickel ores.

"We must start building RKEF and HPAL factories in industrial estates next year," said Antam CEO Nicolas Kanter on Monday evening. He did not specify the exact location, but a statement from last year indicates that the company plans to develop the estate in East Halmahera regency, North Maluku province.

Kanter added, "We are considering using natural gas for power generation at the HPAL factory, but feasibility studies are needed to ensure that the project's economic viability is not significantly affected."