ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The green energy-oriented smelter development project in Indonesia, a collaboration between Nickel Industries Australia and Tsingshan, has reportedly started construction of Excelsior Nickel Cobalt (ENC) high pressure acid leach (HPAL) in Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).
The project will be the first globally to produce three first-class nickel products for the electric vehicle and battery market, namely mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), nickel sulphate and nickel cathode.
The $1.76 billion project is projected to be completed in less than 24 months, with a projected need for workers of 3,500 people, where construction will begin in October 2023 and is expected to produce the first nickel production in the first half of 2025.
The development of the smelter investment was reported by the Managing Director of Nickel Industries when he met with the Coordinating Minister for the Indonesian Economy Airlangga Hartarto at the CEO Meeting, Tuesday morning, March 5 2024.
Apart from the Managing Director of Nickel Industries, the meeting was also attended by the CEO of Aspen Medical, Chief Financial Officer of Central Queensland University, and Managing Director and CEO of Carbon Aceh.
Apart from the smelter, progress was also reported on investment in the construction of Aspen Medical’s first hospital which had its groundbreaking on June 20 2023 in Depok, West Java. The hospital is targeted to be operational in 2026, then a second and third hospital will be built in Cikarang and Karawang, West Java.
Aspen Medical plans to build 23 hospitals (Class A and B) and 650 clinics with a value of $1 billion which will certainly provide more job opportunities. Aspen Medical is currently in the process of finalizing collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports for an internship program for Indonesian health workers in Australia.
In the education sector, Central Queensland University (CQU) said it had explored several collaboration programs with various stakeholders in Indonesia. Among these are the provision of education and research related to innovative agricultural systems and research centers for herbal and horticultural plants. Apart from that, CQU is currently in the process of establishing a campus in Balikpapan with an additional campus in IKN.
On this occasion, the Managing Director and CEO of Carbon Aceh was also present to convey developments in CCS development cooperation. Furthermore, PT PEMA Aceh Carbon, which is a joint venture of BUMD Pembangunan Aceh (PEMA) and Carbon Aceh, is currently conducting a feasibility study to determine whether the giant Arun Field gas reservoir can be used for CO2 storage with an estimated final storage capacity of around 1 billion tons of CO2 .
This project will be one of the largest CCS projects in the ASEAN region and is expected to contribute significantly to Aceh’s economy. This project is projected to create extensive employment opportunities, increase income and support the development of related industries such as fertilizer production, blue hydrogen and ammonia production.
The CEO Meeting was also coupled with a one-on-one meeting to discuss further opportunities and challenges for business actors in realizing their investments in Indonesia. (ATN)
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