Chinese battery giant CATL and Indonesian state-owned miner PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) have finalized a $1.9 billion plan to build an integrated nickel smelter in the Feni Haltim Industrial Park (FHT) in East Halmahera, North Maluku. The project will utilize both High-Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) and Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) technologies, forming a key part of Indonesia's national electric vehicle battery ecosystem.
Arianto S. Rudjito, Antam's Director of Finance and Risk Management, stated that the company and the consortium including CATL's subsidiary Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend (CBL) are finalizing the Final Investment Decision. Initial investment for the HPAL project is expected by late 2025 or early 2026, with completion targeted for 2028.
The HPAL facility aims to produce 55,000 tonnes of Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) per year, with Antam holding a 30% stake. Meanwhile, the RKEF smelter -- with an investment of $1.4 billion -- is designed to produce 88,000 tonnes of Nickel Pig Iron (NPI) annually and is scheduled to begin operations in 2027. Antam holds a 40% share in this project through PT Feni Haltim.
Both projects are part of a larger $6 billion integrated investment consortium formed by CBL and Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC). Under this framework, Antam and CBL collaborate with PT Sumber Daya Arindo (SDA) in upstream operations, while IBC holds minority stakes in raw material processing, battery assembly, and recycling segments.
Written by Cora Ji, jiruyan@mysteel.com
