Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves, with an estimated 55 million tonnes. It has been the world’s leading producer of nickel over the past few years, with a global production share of 16% in 2017 rising to 54% in 2023, when it produced 2.02 million tonnes of nickel.
This case study is part of a broader project focused on strengthening supply chain resilience through analysis of the environmental and associated social impacts of critical minerals using case studies of nickel, lithium, and copper.
It describes Indonesia's environmental challenges and associated social issues from nickel mining of laterite ore and processing through high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) and examines the country's policy measures for management.
The conclusions and lessons learned from this case study can be used to guide more sustainable nickel laterite mining and processing in Indonesia as well as other jurisdictions.
