The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), through its Metallurgy Research Center, has successfully developed a technological breakthrough in nickel ore processing that is more efficient and environmentally friendly. This innovation, led by researcher Iwan Setiawan, is claimed to drastically minimize production waste by utilizing nearly all components of nickel ore material, up to 98 percent.
This method serves as an adaptive solution to the increasingly diverse characteristics of nickel reserves in Indonesia. Unlike conventional pyrometallurgical processes, this modified technology enables the simultaneous processing of two types of nickel ore, namely saprolite and limonite, in a single process sequence. This approach not only reduces energy consumption but also ensures that every mineral element, such as iron and magnesium, can be processed into high-value economic products such as battery raw materials and industrial pigments.
The application of this technology aligns with the circular economy paradigm, which emphasizes the minimization of mining waste. To date, this innovation has resulted in at least five patents and has been successfully tested on a laboratory to semi-pilot scale with a capacity reaching hundreds of kilograms of material. This success proves the technical effectiveness of the method developed by the BRIN research team.
Although it has shown satisfying results at the research level, the development team is now focused on the next challenge: building a large-scale *pilot plant* facility. This step is crucial to validate technical and economic aspects before the technology is fully ready to be widely adopted by the national mineral industry.
