MIND ID targets cutting two million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions

Holding Industri Pertambangan Indonesia MIND ID is targeting a 15.5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equivalent to two million tonnes of CO2 (CO2e), by 2030. “We are committed to supporting Indonesia’s target of achieving the second NDC in 2030 and the aspiration of net zero emissions for Indonesia,” said MIND ID Division Head of Sustainability Binahidra Logiardi in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday. According to him, the target of cutting two million tonnes of emissions is being set amid projections of energy demand nearly doubling due to the national strategic mineral downstreaming programme. He said the challenge of decarbonising the mining sector is becoming increasingly complex precisely amid the expansion of the downstreaming programme, which is the company’s main mandate in the mining sector. The downstreaming programme requires high energy, and MIND ID is continuously integrating related sustainability programmes to optimise GHG emission control efforts. “With the downstreaming mandate given to MIND ID, our operational energy needs are estimated to increase nearly twofold by 2030. Moreover, emissions are projected to increase approximately 2.1 times if no intervention is carried out,” he said. Based on the company’s projections, he continued, the MIND ID Group’s energy needs will increase from around 149,000 terajoules (TJ) in 2026 to 293,000 TJ in 2030, a jump of more than 90 percent. Without intervention, Binahidra said, GHG emissions are projected to increase from 6,100 kilotonnes CO2e to 12,900 kilotonnes CO2e over the same period. This surge reflects the scale of expansion underway, ranging from mine development in Kalimantan, electric vehicle battery ecosystem projects in East Halmahera, aluminium facility expansion, smelter construction, to underwater mining projects. Therefore, MIND ID is taking a number of strategic steps to ensure the growth of this downstreaming programme proceeds with integrated and impactful environmental programmes. The first step is conversion to low-carbon fuels, which includes increasing the use of biodiesel from B35 to B40, replacing high speed diesel (HSD) with liquefied natural gas (LNG), and optimising electricity utilisation from the PLN grid. Binahidra explained that PT Bukit Asam Tbk has implemented this step through the use of bucket wheel excavators (BWE) for coal handling at the Tanjung Enim Mining Unit, replacing fossil-fuelled dump trucks and successfully reducing emissions by approximately 5,200 tonnes of CO2e per year. Furthermore, PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (INALUM) has also converted from HSD to LNG at its baking plant facility, resulting in an emissions reduction of approximately 3,700 tonnes of CO2e while improving operational energy efficiency. On the renewable energy side, MIND ID is expanding the use of biomass and solar energy. PT Indonesia Chemical Alumina (ICA) has implemented co-firing using palm kernel shell biomass as a partial substitute for coal, reducing emissions by approximately 560 tonnes of CO2e. PT Timah Tbk operates a solar power plant installation with a capacity of 300 kilowatt peak (kWp) capable of reducing emissions by approximately 300 tonnes of CO2e while promoting clean energy use in industrial areas. To complement direct reduction strategies, MIND ID is developing carbon offset schemes through nature-based solutions (NBS) projects, utilising renewable energy certificates (REC), and participating in carbon trading. Binahidra emphasised that decarbonisation efforts are not merely an environmental obligation but also a determining factor for the competitiveness of Indonesian mineral products in the global market. Investors, financial institutions, and international supply chains are increasingly stringent in requiring sustainability aspects as a condition for market access. “Therefore, all our strategies must integrate ESG aspects into the company’s operations,” said Binahidra. Through these various initiatives, MIND ID’s transformation towards operations with more managed carbon emissions is a tangible commitment to ensuring that downstreaming expansion generates economic added value as well as environmental benefits for Indonesia.