Nickel Vs LFP, Antam Boss: Each Has An Advantage

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Antam Nicolas Kanter responded to the news of the use of nickel raw materials for electric vehicle batteries amid the trend of using Lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP). He said, both have their own advantages.

As is known, LFP was in the spotlight after being mentioned by the Vice Presidential Candidate (Cawapres) Number 02 in the 2024 Piplres Candidate Debate, Sunday, January 21.

"I think everyone has advantages," he said when met at the Indonesian Ombudsman Building, Jakarta, Tuesday, January 23.

Even so, Nico, as he is familiarly called, admits that the LFP battery market is still more dominant than nickel or Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC).

However, he believes that the downstream ecosystem in Indonesia which continues to be echoed will be followed by large demand or demand for nickel. This is because the ecosystem EV yesterday in Indonesia is the first in the world.

Moreover, Nico continued, his company in 2023 has signed a collaboration with Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend Co Ltd (CBL), a subsidiary of Hong Kong CBL Limited (HKCBL) with an investment value of IDR 7 trillion.

"It means that there is no other country either. Because other countries may have more infrastructure and others, but they don't have their natural resources," he explained.

With Indonesia's potential, Nico said, his party still believes in the future of nickel in Indonesia.

"I say it's more confident because nickel has longer-term advantages than batteries, it's better, in terms of safety it's also better," he said.

Nico said that when the price of nickel is too expensive, the electric battery industry will switch to LFP. He said, the electric battery industry will also continue to innovate and develop technology. So that the position of attraction for these two commodities will change along with developments.

"At the same time, we cannot be complacent that this NCM nickel based will dominate the world, no. If the price is expensive, building (the industry) is long, the rules are difficult, the government must also provide incentives to this joint venture," he said.