ESDM Minister Reveals The Amount Of Increase In Mine Added Value After Downstreaming

JAKARTA - The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif described the increase in added value to mineral products after downstreaming.

For copper minerals, Arifin said that the added value would increase by 6 times from copper ore to concentrate and 15 times to become copper cables.

"This cable is really needed to support our electricity infrastructure because without cables it is impossible for us to distribute electrical energy," said Arifin in a working meeting (raker) with Commission VII DPR RI, Monday, March 20.

Meanwhile, for bauxite, Arifin said the value would increase by up to 8 times after turning it into alumina and 18 times after turning it into aluminum. For this reason, Indonesia is currently encouraging the aluminum industry to immediately expand its capacity.

"We are still importing aluminum in quite large quantities and we are pushing it so that it can absorb the existing alumina. This aluminum is very important as a material for automotive as well as a material to support the renewable energy industry," continued Arifin.

As for nickel, it will increase 4 times after being processed from nickel ore into ferronickel and nickelmate and will continue to increase until it becomes a battery cathode.

Apart from increasing added value, continued Arifin, the domestic mineral downstream program will also benefit Indonesia in various aspects such as increasing export value and providing new jobs for the community.

"With the process of increasing added value from bauxite, this will create an export value of up to 1.5 billion US dollars and will absorb 7,600 workers," continued Arifin.

Just so you know, starting in June 2023 the government will ban bauxite exports in order to increase the added value of exports. Previously, Indonesia had also stopped nickel exports since January 1, 2020.

"As a result, the initial nickel export value was only IDR 17 trillion or US$1.1 million at the end of 2014, soaring to IDR 326 trillion or US$20.9 million in 2021 or an increase of 19 times," said President Joko Widodo.

The President estimates that in 2022 the value of nickel will exceed IDR 468 trillion or more than US$30 billion.