Minister Arifin Tasrif Calls Indonesian Nickel Reserves Enough For The Next 15 Years

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif said, Indonesia still has sufficient nickel reserves and potential.

Arifin said, if Indonesia's nickel reserves are still sufficient for the next 15 years.

"The potential for nickel now has a potential reserve. With the same capacity, it can be 15 years," Arifin told the media, quoted on Saturday, September 16.

He detailed that Indonesia's nickel reserves are 5.3 billion tons, while the potential for nickel as much as 17 billion tons is divided into two types, namely nickel with high levels or saprolate which is devoted to raw materials for batteries and low-grade nickel or limousines that will be used as raw materials for stainless steel.

Arifin added, if the lifespan of Indonesia's nickel reserves could be extended by more than 15 years by developing the recycling industry.

"In the future, the steel industry can have a recycled industry, it can be a long top up. We just don't be wasteful," concluded Arifin.

Previously, the Special Staff of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources for the Acceleration of Mineral and Coal Governance, Irwandy Arif, said that the lifespan of this nickel reserves depends on exploration activities, the discovery of new reserves and the use of smelters and limousines.

According to him, there are several parties with different calculations, namely nickel reserves in Indonesia, which account for even 7 years.

Then there are also those who say that the remaining nyang reserves are enough for another 10 years.

However, what is of concern, said Irwandy, the use of nickel in Indonesia must remain limited.

"There are parties who say 7 years, some say 10 years, some say 15 years, depending on consumption. Not fixed 7 years, there are developments. Yes, we still say that, that it must remain limited," continued Irwandy.

Meanwhile, to increase the life of reserves, several parties said that the government needed to carry out a moratorium or limit the construction of nickel smelters.

Irwandy said that the moratorium plan was still limited to an appeal from the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources because of the increasing consumption of high-level nickel.

"There is no moratorium yet, just an appeal from the Minister because the consumption of SATrite ore is extraordinary, this is what we have to pay attention to," concluded Irwandy.