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Indonesia evaluates cutting nickel production

The Indonesian government is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the potential termination of permits for Rotary Kiln-Electric Furnace (RKEF) smelters, which produce ferronickel and nickel pig iron. This move comes in response to the rapid depletion of the country’s high-grade nickel ore reserves, as announced by a senior mining ministry official on Tuesday.

Irwandy Arif, a senior official with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, stated that Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, is experiencing significant ore depletion following a surge in downstream investments. The government is now looking to reserve remaining stocks for higher value-added products, such as nickel chemicals used in manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles.

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Silver shortage: prepare for impact

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