Post by Nickel Institute

When Chris Schlekat was in Indonesia a couple of weeks ago, he had the amazing opportunity to visit the Indonesian Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP), which is the largest nickel producing facility in the world, providing the opportunity to witness firsthand the scale of the rapidly expanding nickel industry. The visit was organized by Kamar Dagang dan Industri (Kadin) Indonesia / Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Governor of North Maluku, Sherly Tjoanda, and included a range of participants from Glencore, the Cobalt Institute, the @Global Batteries Alliance, ICMM, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the University of Indonesia. The participants observed that IWIP located in areas with high environmental sensitivity, adjacent to tropical rainforests and marine ecosystems with coral reefs. One of the biggest challenges in implementing #ESG standards is ensuring that the data and frameworks used are truly appropriate for Indonesia's environmental conditions, rather than simply adopting standards from other countries. To support this, the Nickel Institute and NiPERA Inc. have been running an Indonesia-specific research program since 2014 to generate scientific data that can be used to protect terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This research has resulted in more than 20 scientific publications and is now used internationally as the basis for establishing nickel protection thresholds in freshwater and marine environments. Among the various ESG issues facing the #nickel industry in Indonesia, tailings management as one of the biggest challenges. This waste product from mineral processing has environmental consequences that are not only short-term but can persist for decade, which meansthat they must be thoroughly characterized and managed with a long-term perspective. The future of ESG in the nickel industry is determined not only by the number of standards or certifications a company holds, but also by the quality of the scientific data used to manage environmental risks . For Indonesia, now the world's largest nickel producer, a science-based approach to issues such as nickel toxicity, sensitive ecosystem protection, and tailings management has the potential to be a key factor in the industry's competitiveness in a global market that increasingly demands stringent ESG standards. ➡️ For nickel producers, joining the Nickel Institute means working from robust, science-based knowledge of nickel’s fundamental characteristics to manage risks responsibly and stay competitive in an evolving ESG landscape. Anglo American | Boliden | Brazilian Nickel | General Nickel | Glencore | IXM | Jervois Brasil | Sherritt International Corporation | Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. | Terrafame Ltd | Umicore | Vale , Vale Base Metals #CriticalMineral #mining #Indonesia #science