The agency's chief, Muhammad Wafid, said he expects the discovery made during preliminary surveys and explorations of new nickel reserve areas by the agency to be followed up by the government.
"Despite many saying that our nickels (reserves) will deplete in only several years, we actually found at least 100 new locations, which potentials should be explored further," he told ANTARA here on Thursday.
The Geological Agency found 100 new locations scattered from the northern end of Sumatra to Papua region, he said, adding that further exploration is needed to find the exact points for mining.
He added that his agency is determined to continue the exploration to find more areas with unexplored nickel reserves.
Wafid said he expects the newly found nickel reserves to bolster Indonesia's nickel production and strengthen the nation's status as a global nickel powerhouse.
The exploitation of the potential nickel resources found by the Geological Agency could also ensure constant nickel supply for newly opened nickel smelters so they can continue operating to benefit the nation, he added.
"We should not let smelters run for only several years before the nickel ore is depleted. We should be responsible for processing the nickel as we have restricted nickel ore export," Wafid said.
Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia on Tuesday (July 30, 2024) said that Indonesia's nickel downstreaming policy helped increase the export value of nickel products tenfold to US$33.5 billion in 2023.
The minister emphasized that the downstreaming of nickel has led to Indonesia emerging as one of the world's largest producers of stainless steel.
Furthermore, the downstreaming policy has opened an opportunity for the country to become a prominent player in the development of clean energy, especially in the electric vehicle (EV) battery industry.
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Translator: Rubby Jovan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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