Indonesia Faces Challenges in Developing Rare Earth Elements as Several Nations Secure Technology
The Mineral Industry Agency (BIM) has revealed that various countries are striving to secure the development of technology for Rare Earth Elements (REE). This is closely linked to the complexity of the separation process involving 17 different REE elements.
Yogi Wibisono Budhi, BIM Deputy for Research and Technology Development, explained that the difficulty in separation arises because all 17 REE elements belong to the same group in the periodic table. This condition has prompted several nations to restrict access to separation facilities and their supporting materials.
“This has become a pinpoint, where several countries are attempting to lock down the technologies they have developed,” he stated during the 36th Anniversary of the Indonesian Mining Experts Association (Perhapi) at Jiexpo on Thursday.
Yogi revealed that this technological lockdown by developing nations extends beyond separation technology itself. Restrictions are also being applied to the entire supply chain, including the chemical substances required for the separation process.
“It is not just the technologies they have developed, but the entire supply chain system and the chemical materials necessary for the separation process within this technology that are being locked down by several advanced nations,” he said.
Global competition in the REE sector has shifted from the possession of mineral reserves to the mastery of technology and supply chains. This shift is occurring alongside the surging demand for minerals used in clean energy, such as the sixfold increase in demand for electric vehicles and the ninefold increase for onshore wind power compared to gas-fired power plants.
“Therefore, the role of BIM here is to bridge that gap. We want to connect the research outputs from universities and research institutions, such as BRIN, with the real needs of the industry,” he explained.
Currently, the agency is focusing on accelerating research performance and orchestrating collaboration between universities, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and industry players. This includes the process of scaling up from laboratory tests to pilot facilities and, eventually, to commercial industrial scales.
“We are optimistic that Indonesia will not merely be a spectator or a provider of raw materials, but will be able to achieve technological sovereignty and become a key player in the global rare earth element supply chain in the future,” he concluded.