Vale Indonesia Advocates for Sustainable Nickel Processing as a Key to Energy Transition
Vale Indonesia has emphasized the crucial role of nickel in the energy transition, highlighting the need for its sustainable processing from mining to battery production for electric vehicles. According to Suparam Bayu Aji, Head of Communications at PT Vale Indonesia, the future of mining hinges on sustainable practices that consider long-term environmental impacts.
With Indonesia's Laterite-type nickel posing challenges such as runoff water management and biodiversity conservation, Vale Indonesia has implemented measures like integrated effluent and sedimentation control. The company boasts over 120 sediment ponds and a Lamella Gravity Settler Wastewater Treatment facility, reflecting its commitment to environmental stewardship.
Bayu detailed the company's investment in sustainability, allocating 22% of its budget to pre-mining conservation, 53% to the mining process, and 25% to post-mining rehabilitation. Vale Indonesia's roadmap to Net Zero emissions by 2050 includes a 33% reduction in absolute emissions by 2030, leveraging technological innovation and biodiversity pathways to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
Echoing the sentiment on renewable energy's role in mining, Tonny Gultom, Director of Health, Safety, and Environment at PT Trimegah Bangun Persada (Harita Nickel), announced plans to construct a Rooftop Solar Power Plant with a capacity of 40 Megawatt Peak by 2024. This initiative is part of Harita Nickel's efforts to contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions by 2060.
Sudirman Widhy Hartono, Director of PT Arutmin Indonesia and Vice Chairman of PERHAPI, pointed out the vast potential of Indonesian coal, with reserves ranking third globally. This underscores the importance of sustainable resource management in Indonesia's mining sector, ensuring a balanced approach between economic development and environmental preservation.
