“Indonesia is the world’s biggest nickel producer, and has the largest reserves on earth, most of which are in Sulawesi and Halmahera islands,” Climate Home News noted last December.
These so-called “nickel provinces” are taking center stage in an ecological and human tragedy unfolding in the vast tropical archipelago.
Once known for making stainless steel, nickel is now essential in EV lithium-ion batteries, where it boosts energy density and increases EV driving range.
Indonesia banned the export of nickel ore in 2020, calculating that it could earn higher revenues and create more jobs by processing its vast reserves of nickel domestically. To meet the demand for processed nickel, the country has built 25 smelters in recent years, with 22 more planned, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. The infrastructure buildout has been enhanced by locating EV battery factories with the smelters.
Of the 2,273,000 acres of nickel mining concessions in Indonesia, about two-thirds are under forest cover. The nickel ore deposits are in layers of rock near the surface, typically 20 to 50 feet deep, and are readily accessible through open-pit mining once the trees have been cleared. The removal of trees from the tropical forest has been running at a blistering pace.
“Aerial photographs captured by drones show vast tracks of deforested land and polluted runoff flowing into the surrounding waters,” Climate Fact Checks reported in June. “These waters, once home to vibrant coral reefs, now face threats from sedimentation, which can smother marine life and other delicate ecosystems.”
A recent analysis of rainforest loss, based on Indonesian government data, “shows deforestation rose from an average of 33 square kilometers (about 13 square miles) around each smelter, to 63 square kilometers (about 24.5 square miles),” the Associated Press reported. “If all 22 new plants are built, deforestation is likely to increase dramatically.”
Until a few years ago, Indonesia’s rainforests were threatened by illegal logging and the expansion of plantations for palm oil and plywood. However, new laws and stepped-up enforcement over the past 15 years sharply curtailed these practices.
Now, a far more serious threat is posed by what energy analyst Vijay Jayaraj calls “the voracious EV supply chain.”
“In a standard EV battery, the 43 kilograms of nickel is the most expensive raw material, costing more than $750 (per kilogram),” Jayaraj points out. “By 2030, global EV sales are projected to top 50 million units per year, with batteries driving more than half of the surge in nickel demand, soaking up over 15 million metric tons annually.”
“Sustainability” has long been a buzzword in environmentalism. According to Penn State Sustainability, “Sustainability is the simultaneous pursuit of human health and happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being for current and future generations.”
The United Nations says that sustainable development goals should include “improving the lives of populations around the world and mitigating the hazardous effects of man-made climate change.”
These definitions are not compatible with an analysis by the nonprofit Auriga of the effects of nickel development driven by EV batteries in Indonesia. “The damage to the environment is devastating,” said the organization’s chairman, Timer Manurung. “Deforestation has significantly increased … rivers are polluted, mangroves are cut to develop smelter areas, coastal areas and coral are being damaged by the smelters.”
Everything from mudslides caused by the removal of trees from hillsides to frequent power outages in nearby villages brought about by the diversion of electricity to nickel mining operations is being done in the name of transitioning to green energy. The tropical rainforests of Indonesia, like those elsewhere in equatorial regions — along with the unique wildlife they support — were made possible by warm temperatures and elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Yet, carbon dioxide has been demonized as causing what has been called the “climate crisis,” justifying decarbonization efforts, in which EVs play a prominent role. The consequences of these actions, visible to everyone who looks, speak for themselves.
“The future of Indonesia’s magnificent forests now hinges on a critical choice,” energy analyst Jayaraj says. “Whether to continue chasing the illusion of a ‘clean energy’ future at the expense of real-world devastation required to build it?”
Bonner R. Cohen is a senior fellow at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow, where he concentrates on energy, natural resources, and international relations. This article was sourced HERE
Once known for making stainless steel, nickel is now essential in EV lithium-ion batteries, where it boosts energy density and increases EV driving range.
Indonesia banned the export of nickel ore in 2020, calculating that it could earn higher revenues and create more jobs by processing its vast reserves of nickel domestically. To meet the demand for processed nickel, the country has built 25 smelters in recent years, with 22 more planned, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. The infrastructure buildout has been enhanced by locating EV battery factories with the smelters.
Of the 2,273,000 acres of nickel mining concessions in Indonesia, about two-thirds are under forest cover. The nickel ore deposits are in layers of rock near the surface, typically 20 to 50 feet deep, and are readily accessible through open-pit mining once the trees have been cleared. The removal of trees from the tropical forest has been running at a blistering pace.
“Aerial photographs captured by drones show vast tracks of deforested land and polluted runoff flowing into the surrounding waters,” Climate Fact Checks reported in June. “These waters, once home to vibrant coral reefs, now face threats from sedimentation, which can smother marine life and other delicate ecosystems.”
A recent analysis of rainforest loss, based on Indonesian government data, “shows deforestation rose from an average of 33 square kilometers (about 13 square miles) around each smelter, to 63 square kilometers (about 24.5 square miles),” the Associated Press reported. “If all 22 new plants are built, deforestation is likely to increase dramatically.”
Until a few years ago, Indonesia’s rainforests were threatened by illegal logging and the expansion of plantations for palm oil and plywood. However, new laws and stepped-up enforcement over the past 15 years sharply curtailed these practices.
Now, a far more serious threat is posed by what energy analyst Vijay Jayaraj calls “the voracious EV supply chain.”
“In a standard EV battery, the 43 kilograms of nickel is the most expensive raw material, costing more than $750 (per kilogram),” Jayaraj points out. “By 2030, global EV sales are projected to top 50 million units per year, with batteries driving more than half of the surge in nickel demand, soaking up over 15 million metric tons annually.”
“Sustainability” has long been a buzzword in environmentalism. According to Penn State Sustainability, “Sustainability is the simultaneous pursuit of human health and happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being for current and future generations.”
The United Nations says that sustainable development goals should include “improving the lives of populations around the world and mitigating the hazardous effects of man-made climate change.”
These definitions are not compatible with an analysis by the nonprofit Auriga of the effects of nickel development driven by EV batteries in Indonesia. “The damage to the environment is devastating,” said the organization’s chairman, Timer Manurung. “Deforestation has significantly increased … rivers are polluted, mangroves are cut to develop smelter areas, coastal areas and coral are being damaged by the smelters.”
Everything from mudslides caused by the removal of trees from hillsides to frequent power outages in nearby villages brought about by the diversion of electricity to nickel mining operations is being done in the name of transitioning to green energy. The tropical rainforests of Indonesia, like those elsewhere in equatorial regions — along with the unique wildlife they support — were made possible by warm temperatures and elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Yet, carbon dioxide has been demonized as causing what has been called the “climate crisis,” justifying decarbonization efforts, in which EVs play a prominent role. The consequences of these actions, visible to everyone who looks, speak for themselves.
“The future of Indonesia’s magnificent forests now hinges on a critical choice,” energy analyst Jayaraj says. “Whether to continue chasing the illusion of a ‘clean energy’ future at the expense of real-world devastation required to build it?”
Bonner R. Cohen is a senior fellow at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow, where he concentrates on energy, natural resources, and international relations. This article was sourced HERE
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