15 August 2025
As part of a wider commitment to sustainable mining practices, Harita Nickel has built and continues to operate a plant nursery facility that plays a crucial role in the post-mining reclamation process. The facility, named Loji Central Nursery, was inaugurated on January 30, 2025. Here, local and endemic plant seeds are sown and grown into seedlings ready for the regeneration of former mining areas. This facility is not merely an operational complement, but rather forms the basis for ecosystem rehabilitation, reforestation of disturbed land, and comprehensive environmental restoration.
In general, a nursery is a place for processing seeds or other plant materials into seedlings ready for planting. Nurseries can therefore play a critical role in post-mining reclamation activities, as they are the first step in restoring land that has been disturbed by mining activities. Nurseries are not merely a complement to post-mining activities, but a fundamental step towards sustainable reclamation.
The Loji Central Nursery on Obi Island has been revitalized into a modern 2.8-hectare nursery facility with a capacity of up to 400,000 seedlings. This facility supports large-scale reclamation activities through a comprehensive, integrated structure. Some of the main facilities on site include:
1. Mother Plant House: A facility or area designated for seed germination and the collection of vegetative cuttings from mother plants.
2. Production House: A designated area for the preparation of growing media.
3. Rooting House: An area where plants propagated through vegetative or generative methods are acclimatized to optimize root development.
4. Shade House: A nursery area used for the acclimatization of seedlings to low-intensity sunlight.
5. Open Area: A nursery area with an open layout used for acclimatizing seedlings to high-intensity sunlight.
6. Seed Storehouse: A storage facility for selected high-quality seeds.
7. Fertilizer Warehouse: A place to store fertilizers and other nutrients which can support the growth of seedlings.
Aligned with Harita’s commitment to efficiency and minimizing environmental impact, all these facilities are supported by an automatic irrigation system, greenhouses, and the use of environmentally friendly materials repurposed from industrial waste (nickel slag).
To support the reclamation program, Loji Central Nursery develops a total of 29 plant species. These plants can be categorized into three main groups:
Pioneer plants are fast-growing, resistant to extreme conditions, and help to initiate land restoration. Some examples of pioneer plants cultivated at the Harita Nickel nursery include the sea pine, sea sengon, and eucalyptus.
This group comprises vegetation that is native to the North Maluku region. These species have been chosen due to their adaptability to local climate and soil conditions. Examples include bintangur, marsawa, matoa, and gosale.
The use of local plants in the reclamation program is part of Harita Nickel's environmental initiative, which emphasizes the importance of biodiversity conservation. This step not only strengthens the native ecosystem around the mine area; it also reflects the company's commitment to maintaining natural balance through a sustainable approach based on local wisdom. In addition to supporting post-mining environmental regeneration, the use of at least 40% local species demonstrates a focus on more effective and harmonious ecological adaptation to local conditions.
Fruiting plants and other MPTS are developed to provide additional benefits, such as fruit that can be utilized by the local community and can support the presence of fruit-eating fauna. This includes jackfruit, cempedak, rambutan, cashew, and matoa.
This nursery provides quality plant seedlings to support the process of revegetation in mining areas where mining activities have been completed.
Plant species such as the sea pine, johar, sengon, red jabon, canary, cashew, and others have been selected to create an ecosystem that mirrors natural conditions.
By planting fruit trees such as rambutan, jackfruit, matoa, and others, the nursery also supports the return of fruit-eating fauna, which are essential for ecosystem balance.
This nursery was built in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 77 of 2024 concerning the acceleration of nursery development in mining areas, and Ministerial Decree No. 1827 K/30/MEM/2018 concerning good mining practices.
As many as 40% of the reclamation plants are local species, the procurement of which involves the local community through a combination of seed production, fertilizer production, and land maintenance.
Harita Nickel’s plant nursery demonstrates that modern mining practices can be carried out responsibly and sustainably. By implementing cutting-edge technology, ecosystem-based reclamation techniques, and a commitment to environmental conservation, Harita Nickel has positioned itself as a pioneer in mine reclamation. This extends beyond mere compliance with regulations, by offering a vision for Indonesia's environmental future.
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