Association Records Increase in Matte Nickel Export Value Reaching 300 Percent

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Nickel Entrepreneurs Association (APNI) recorded a significant increase in nickel exports after going through the downstream process.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Nickel Entrepreneurs Association (APNI), Meidy Katrin Lengkey, said that based on product export data, especially for hot rolled steel or hot rolled coil (HRC) and cold rolled steel or cold rolled coil (CRC), her party noted that from 2021 to 2022 there was an increase of up to 4.9 percent.

"The data for 2021 is around 10.3 billion US dollars, increasing to 10.83 in 2022," said Meidy, quoted on Tuesday, September 19.

Meanwhile, matte nickel products recorded an increase of up to 300 percent.

"I say matte nickel will increase by 300 percent from 2021 to 2022. In just one year, we haven't calculated 2023 because it hasn't been finished yet, so compare from 2021 to 2022," continued Meidy.

Meanwhile, the export value of matte nickel was recorded to have increased from 2021, valued at 0.95 billion US dollars in 2021, rising to 3.82 billion US dollars in 2022.

Meidy said that the massive nickel downstreaming carried out by Indonesia brought sweet fruit by successfully increasing added value and being successful in less than 10 years.

"The impact of the massive nickel downstream development, we have been successful in less than 10 years, the downstream program has been very successful, in fact it has been repeated over and over again. Stop, the market is saturated and ultimately ends up crushing prices," continued Meidy.

Meidy added that by 2023 there will be 54 pyrometallurgical factories producing nickel pig iron (NPI), ferronickel and even matte nickel.

"54 of the 177 pyrometallic furnish lines are RKIF," continued Meidy.

Meanwhile, there are 6 factories for battery raw materials that produce MHP or a mixture of hydroxide solids from nickel and cobalt.

"Last year it was still 4 years, this year it increased to 6 processing factories producing MHP, namely hydrometallurgical technology," concluded Meidy.