13 Smelter Nickel Already in Operation: http://ekbis.rmol.co/read/2017/12/28/319998/13-Smelter-Nikel-Sudah-Beroperasi-/28 December 2017 The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) noted that as of October 2017 there were 13 nickel smelter industries already in operation. While the two smelters were closed due to high operating costs.
Director General of Minerals and Coal Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Bambang Gatot Ariyono said, investment for the construction of domestic nickel refining facilities reached approximately US $ 5.03 billion or around Rp 68 trillion. The 13 nickel smelters already built and operating have already produced 598 thousand tonnes (FeNi and NPI) and 64 thousand tonnes of Ni-Matte, and able to purify nickel ore in domestic of 34 million tons. While for the last two years, two nickel smelters that stopped operating were caused by economic factors resulting from rising operating costs and weakening of mineral commodity prices in early 2017.
Peering on PT Vale Indonesia Nickel Mine in South Sulawesi: https://finance.detik.com/energi/3373258/mengintip-tambang-nikel-pt-vale-indonesia-di-sulawesi-selatan/16 December 2016 PT Vale Indonesia Tbk produces nickel in matte, which is produced at integrated mining and processing facilities in Sorowako, South Sulawesi. Vale's entire production is sold on a US dollar-denominated long-term contract to a refining plant in Japan.
DetikFinance has the opportunity to see firsthand mining activities from listed mining companies that contribute 5% of the world's nickel supply. This mining activity is carried out in 3 shifts, where each shift operates for 8 hours with a total of 340 operators. The mining process begins with geological exploration data, which will then carry out drilling activities, to eventually be used by the planner to develop a mine plan at a site.
There are about 6 excavator units that are operated exclusively to peel mining areas. Land that has been dredged, then will be discharged to the disposal area. If the exploited mining area has expired ore content (metal material), then the mining area will be closed again by the discharged soil to the disposal area.
Nickel is usually used as a coating of items made of iron, copper, and steel, and for making stainless steel, making aliase such as Monel are used to make electrical instruments, nichrome is used as a heating wire, alinko used to make magnets, and palinit manifold nickel and inver as electrical wire embedded in the glass, such as incandescent light bulb.