Economic News, Jakarta - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif has said Indonesia will produce 1.5 giga tons of CO2 by 2060.
"These emissions projections are based on a business-as-usual scenario, in which there is no effort to explore more environmentally friendly energy," said the Minister at a side event of the B20 Summit forum, during the signing of the B20 Task Force Agreement, Sustainability & Climate Business Action in Nusa Dua, Bali, some time ago.
With this in mind, the government is committed to pursuing the Net Zero Emission (NZE) target by 2060. They have created an energy transition roadmap divided into five-year periods, and are also targeting the rollout of 300,000 electric cars and 1.3 million motorcycles between 2021 and 2025. Moreover, from 2026-2030, a further 2 million electric vehicles and 13 million motorcycles are also being targeted.
The government's electric vehicle ambition is supported by PT Halmahera Persada Lygend (PT HPL), a pioneer in processing and refining low-grade nickel ore into raw materials for electric vehicle batteries. The Harita Nickel business unit operates a nickel refinery using High Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) technology on Obi Island, South Halmahera, North Maluku, with an annual production capacity of 365,000 tons of Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP), the raw material for electric vehicle batteries.
PT HPL is not only producing more environmentally friendly raw materials for electric vehicle batteries, but also implementing NZE within its operational areas.
Rico W. Albert, Head of Technical Support at PT Halmahera Persada Lygend, explained several efforts already underway. These include increasing the use of New and Renewable Energy (NRE) in the form of solar panels and reducing fossil fuel consumption by using electric vehicles in offices and factories.
The company also reuses rainwater runoff from the factory area in a reservoir to reduce raw water use in the production process.
"We also use ESP (Electrostatic Precipitator) technology, a technology that controls ash and dust from the combustion process, making it more environmentally friendly," said Rico.
Meanwhile, in the living quarters, or employee residences, the company uses solar panel lighting in all outdoor areas and gardens. Besides being energy efficient, this measure reduces cable use and power consumption. Motion-sensor lights are also installed in several locations, automatically turning off when no one is in the room.
Fahmy Radhi, an energy observer from Gadjah Mada University, welcomed the efforts made by nickel mining companies to support the government's NZE program. He believes that the implementation of NZE will not only have a positive impact on the environment but also on the economy and society, as environmentally friendly nickel derivatives have significant economic potential.
"I think this is a positive change, as the energy transition is supported by mining companies in Indonesia. There must be synergy between stakeholders to achieve the NZE target, because the challenges are not easy to overcome," Fahmy concluded.