The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), through the Metallurgy Research Center, has officially introduced the latest technology in nickel ore processing. This innovation is claimed to increase material utilization efficiency by up to 98 percent, thereby significantly reducing production waste, which has been a major challenge in the mining sector.
The main advantage of this method lies in its flexibility to process two types of nickel ore, namely saprolite and limonite, simultaneously in a single workflow. Unlike conventional techniques that only focus on nickel extraction, this technology is capable of processing iron and magnesium at the same time to be reprocessed into materials of high economic value, including raw materials for electric vehicle batteries.
BRIN researcher, Iwan Setiawan, explained that this development is based on a zero-waste philosophy or *zero waste*. With five patents already secured, this technology is designed to reduce energy consumption compared to traditional metallurgical methods, while ensuring that every mineral element contained in the nickel ore can be utilized to the maximum.
Currently, the effectiveness of this technology has been proven through a series of laboratory and semi-experimental scale tests with capacities of hundreds of kilograms. As a next step, the research team is committed to building a larger-scale pilot plant to ensure technical and commercial viability before this technology is widely adopted by the national mining industry.
