Our current focus is on accelerating the completion of these matters\nso that construction can begin immediately.<\/p>\n
Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) is accelerating the\ncompletion of licensing, land acquisition, and readiness for the HPAL\nproject in Buli, East Halmahera, so that the nickel processing project\ncan promptly enter the construction phase.<\/p>\n
Antam\u2019s Head of Investor Relations, Ihsan Rahman, stated that HPAL,\nor high-pressure acid leaching, is a vital component of the company\u2019s\nelectric vehicle (EV) battery value chain development.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur focus at this time is to accelerate the completion of these\nmatters so that we can immediately begin construction,\u201d said Ihsan\nduring the 2026 Public Expose Live held online in Jakarta on\nThursday.<\/p>\n
HPAL is a high-pressure acid leaching technology used to process\nlaterite nickel ore. In the Buli project, the facility is intended to\nproduce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) as an intermediate product to\nsupport the raw material requirements of the electric vehicle battery\necosystem.<\/p>\n
According to the company\u2019s presentation, the Buli HPAL project is\ncurrently in the stage of reviewing the final investment decision (FID).\nThe project is being developed alongside the CBL consortium, which\nconsists of CATL, Brunp, and Lygend.<\/p>\n
Antam holds a 30 per cent stake in the joint venture. The HPAL\nfacility is designed with a capacity of 55,000 tonnes of MHP per year,\nwith a project schedule spanning 2026\u20132028 and an estimated cost of\napproximately 1.9 billion US dollars, equivalent to around Rp33.35\ntrillion.<\/p>\n
The development of HPAL is part of the company\u2019s efforts to increase\nthe added value of low-grade limonite nickel ore by processing it into\nhigher-value products.<\/p>\n
\u201cAntam can monetise low-grade limonite nickel ore into higher\nvalue-added products, thereby increasing the economic value of Antam\u2019s\nnickel resources while opening new sources of growth,\u201d said Ihsan.<\/p>\n
In the company\u2019s presentation, the EV battery project value chain\nincludes nickel ore mining, nickel processing facilities and industrial\nzones, HPAL, battery materials, battery cells, and recycling.<\/p>\n
Ihsan noted that the electric vehicle battery project is still in the\ndevelopment and preparation phase. Several technical stages, including\nlicensing, still need to be completed before construction can\nproceed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have indeed been schedule adjustments due to various technical\npermits,\u201d said Ihsan.<\/p>\n
According to him, Antam continues to prioritise the value-added\nenhancement of nickel into MHP for electric vehicle battery needs as one\nof its nickel business development priorities.<\/p>\n
In addition to HPAL, this value chain includes a nickel processing\nproject using Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technology in Buli to\nproduce nickel pig iron (NPI). Antam holds a 40 per cent stake in the\nproject, which has a capacity of 88,000 tonnes of NPI per year.<\/p>\n
The RKEF project has a schedule of 2025\u20132027 with an estimated cost\nof approximately 1.4 billion US dollars, or around Rp24.57 trillion.\nAccording to Antam\u2019s presentation, the project is currently in the\nengineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) stage.<\/p>\n
Ihsan stated that the company is also continuing to implement\ninternal efficiencies within its nickel business, including cost\nreductions in ferronickel smelters, optimisation of energy use, and the\nregulation of nickel ore blending.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith demand from the stainless steel and EV battery sectors\ncontinuing to rise, we are confident that nickel will serve as a strong\npillar for the company\u2019s margins in the medium to long term,\u201d said\nIhsan.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/antam-accelerates-readiness-of-buli-hpal-project-towards-construction-1789057303", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }