02 June 2024
Bogor, June 2, 2024 – Hundreds of IPB University students attended a public lecture on environmentally conscious mining given by PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (NCKL) or Harita Nickel, an integrated sustainable nickel mining and processing company operating on Obi Island, South Halmahera, North Maluku. This public lecture was part of the Harita Nickel Goes To Campus program held at the JH Hutasoit Auditorium, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
Harita Nickel's Director of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE), Ir. Tonny Gultom IPU., ASEAN Eng., was the speaker at the public lecture, which took the form of a talk show with the theme "Mining the Future: Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable Nickel for Indonesia," moderated by IPB University's Land Resource Management Lecturer, Dr. Ir. Iskandar. Tonny Gultom was accompanied by Harita Nickel's Head of External Relations, Latif Supriadi; Green Mining Manager, Dr. Retno Dewi Handayani S. S.Hut., M.Si; Environmental Marine Manager, Windy Prayogo, S.Pi; and Head of IPB University's Research Laboratory of Excellence, Dr. Ir. Irdika Mansur, M.For.Sc.
The audience consisted of IPB University students from the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, and the Faculty of Economics and Management.
During the event, Tonny Gultom stated that Harita Nickel adheres to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles in all its operations. From an environmental management perspective, Tonny highlighted various reclamation programs to restore the former mining area’s ecological functions.
“In addition to reclamation and revegetation, we also implement other forms of reclamation, such as utilizing former mining land for industrial purposes," Tonny said in front of hundreds of IPB University students.
Moreover, Harita Nickel has taken several measures to maintain the seawater quality in the Kawasi waters near the company's operations. These efforts include regular ecological monitoring, which assesses seawater quality and preserves marine life.
These activities include monitoring the health of coral reefs and other marine biota. One of the initiatives to preserve marine biodiversity is the installation of artificial coral reefs in the form of reef cubes in the waters around Kawasi. These artificial reefs serve as habitats for fish and marine biota to ensure biodiversity is maintained.
Regarding community empowerment, Latif Supriadi stated that Harita Nickel's presence on Obi Island has allowed the local community to grow together. Latif cited several economic development programs, such as the Movement for Independence and Strengthening Village Entrepreneurs (Gemar Papeda) and the development of rice paddies under the Sentra Ketahanan Pangan Obi (Sentani) program in Buton Village. These programs have fostered 65 local suppliers and 26 farmer groups and have created 691 jobs.
“The number of employees on Obi Island is approximately 30,000, consisting of 20,000 Harita Nickel employees and 10,000 contractors. To meet the food needs of our employees, we source supplies from local entrepreneurs, with the highest monthly transaction value reaching IDR 13.2 billion," Latif said.
Meanwhile, IPB University’s speaker, Irdika Mansur, highlighted the potential role of IPB University alums in the mining sector, including Harita Nickel. He says alums from all study programs are highly needed in the mining industry.
“The role of IPB alumni is highly needed in the mining sector, whether in community empowerment, forestry, or the rehabilitation and utilization of former mining lands, such as using former mining lands to cultivate rubber, cocoa, upland rice, and essential oil plants," Irdika explained.
Niko Bakri, a student in the Faculty of Forestry and Environment's Department of Silviculture, expressed positive impressions after attending the event. He admitted to gaining new insights about the mining industry.
“I gained a lot of new insights, realizing that the mining industry is not only for mining engineering students but also very open to students from the Faculty of Forestry, especially in reclamation and revegetation of former mining lands," Niko said.
Similarly, M. Faransani from the Faculty of Agriculture, majoring in Land Resource Management, said he attended the event out of curiosity about environmental management in the mining industry.
“I came to this event because I wanted to know how environmental management is conducted in the mining industry. As we know, the stigma around nickel mining is often negative. This event answered my questions about land reclamation and sustainability, providing new perspectives for me and other students," Faransani said.
Harita Nickel Goes to Campus at IPB University is a collaboration between Harita Nickel and the Student Executive Board (BEM) of IPB University's Faculty of Agriculture. Harita Nickel Goes to Campus is a series of activities held at various campuses in Indonesia to share and enrich students' knowledge about responsible and sustainable nickel mining and processing.
About Harita Nickel
PT Trimegah Bangun Persada Tbk (“TBP”) operates an integrated and sustainable nickel mining and processing on Obi Island, South Halmahera, North Maluku. Apart from having an IUP, since 2016, the Company, through its subsidiary entities, has had high-grade nickel ore (saprolite) smelters and low-grade nickel ore (limonite) processing refinery facilities since 2021 in the same operational area. These facilities are present to support the industrialization mandate of the Indonesian government. Harita Nickel is also a pioneer in Indonesia in processing and refining low-grade nickel ore (limonite) using High-Pressure Acid Leach technology. This technology is able to process limonite nickel which has not been used so far, into a product of strategic value, namely Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP). In the following process, MHP is further processed into nickel sulfate (NiSO4) and cobalt sulfate (CoSO4), which are raw materials used to make electric vehicle batteries.
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