Vale Indonesia reports increased nickel ore sales at two blocks
PT Vale Indonesia, a nickel mining and processing company, has reported a significant increase in nickel ore sales from its Bahodopi Block in Central Sulawesi and Pomalaa Block in Southeast Sulawesi. President Director and CEO Bernardus Irmanto stated that during the second quarter of 2026, the Bahodopi Block recorded saprolite nickel ore sales of 1.07 million wet metric tonnes (WMT), up from 886,000 WMT in the previous quarter. This brought the total sales volume for the first half of the year to 1.96 million WMT. Meanwhile, the Pomalaa Block recorded nickel ore sales of 495,601 WMT, bringing its cumulative sales volume for the first half of 2026 to 584,584 WMT. Irmanto said the performance of these two growth projects demonstrates the success of increasing operational capacity and strengthens the company’s nickel mining strategy to diversify revenue sources and build a more robust operational foundation. Overall, in the second quarter, PT Vale produced 16,153 metric tonnes of nickel in matte, a 19 per cent increase compared to 13,620 tonnes in the same period of the previous year. Total nickel matte production for the first half of 2026 reached 29,773 tonnes. This increase reflects stronger operational performance following the completion of the electric furnace three rebuild project in June 2026, while maintaining a high focus on occupational safety and operational reliability. The company also reported solid financial performance in the second quarter of 2026, driven by increased production, stronger nickel prices, and disciplined operational execution. Nickel matte production rose 19 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 16,153 tonnes, while sales volume remained stable at 13,932 tonnes. Energy consumption also increased during the second quarter, mainly in line with the rise in nickel matte production compared to the previous quarter. A decrease in high sulphur fuel oil consumption during the period was largely offset by an increase in coal usage to support operational needs.