PT Vale Indonesia brings in nickel processing equipment to accelerate national strategic project

PT Vale Indonesia has brought in an autoclave, a piece of low-carbon nickel processing equipment, to accelerate the high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) project, a national strategic project (PSN) in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi. President Director and Chief Executive Officer of PT Vale Indonesia Tbk, Bernardus Irmanto, stated that the arrival of this additional equipment marks significant progress in the construction of the low-carbon nickel processing facility, which is part of the Indonesia growth project in Morowali. He described the equipment as a strategic milestone in the project’s construction phase. As the main equipment in HPAL technology, the autoclave serves as the core of the limonite ore processing, using a combination of high temperature, high pressure, and sulphuric acid to efficiently extract nickel and cobalt. The output of this process is mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), an intermediate material that is a crucial component in the electric vehicle battery supply chain. Irmanto noted that the arrival of the autoclave enables the processing of limonite ore into high-value-added products that support the global electric vehicle supply chain. He added that this momentum reflects PT Vale’s commitment, together with its partners, to delivering a competitive nickel processing industry that prioritises sustainability principles, occupational safety, and long-term benefits for Indonesia and the communities surrounding the operational areas. As part of its commitment to more sustainable operations, the Sambalagi HPAL project also integrates various low-carbon solutions into its facility design. The operational electricity needs will be supported by a waste heat recovery power generation system, which utilises residual heat from the production process to generate electricity more efficiently. Irmanto concluded that the addition of this latest equipment is the company’s effort to maximise the PSN, as it is an important part of the government’s agenda to accelerate nickel downstreaming and the development of the national electric vehicle ecosystem. This status was established through Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Regulation Number 9 of 2022 and Number 21 of 2022, which designate PT Vale’s integrated mining megaproject in the Bahodopi Block and its nickel processing facility as a national strategic project.