Posted on 29 Aug 2024
Vale Indonesia reportedly aims to start commercial operations at the Pomalaa nickel smelter in southeast Sulawesi in the first quarter of 2026.
Company’s ceo Febriany Eddy was quoted by CNBC Indonesia as saying the company has increased the progress target for the project. By year-end, 20% of the construction should be finished.
Kallanish Power Materials has contacted Vale for comments.
The Pomalaa smelting project is a joint venture between Vale Indonesia, Huayou Cobalt and Ford. This high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) project will produce 120,000 tonnes/year of nickel products targeting the EV supply chain. It was announced in 2022, but timeline details had not been disclosed.
Besides the Pomalaa HPAL project, Vale has two other major projects in Indonesia: a nickel matte smelter project in Sorowako, South Sulawesi province, and a ferronickel smelter project in Bahodopi, Central Sulawesi province.
The total investment for these three smelting projects is estimated to range between $8.6-9 billion, CNBC Indonesia says.
“Our existing plant in Sorowako has been in operation for quite some time, and we are continuously expanding,” Febriany adds. “We’re also launching new greenfield projects in Bahodopi and Pomalaa, with another new project planned for Sorowako.”
During the Public Expose Live 2024 held on 26 August, Vale Indonesia’s management said that these expansion and optimisation projects are indeed in line with the government’s plan to boost nickel downstream investment, according to IDN Financials.
According to reports, the company is seeking technology partners for the HPAL smelting project in Sorowako; and the Bahodopi mine should be complete in Q3 2025.
Source:Kallanish Power Materials
