Indonesia's mineral state firms demand limit on number of nickel smelters

State-owned mining holding company MIND ID says the number of nickel smelters in Indonesia is booming.Its chief director said that the proliferation of nickel smelters has reduced the selling price of related products, and ferronickel has been facing a situation in which the price is difficult to cover the cost, and therefore it is hoped that the construction of secondary nickel smelters (such as the production of nickel pig iron and ferronickel products) will be restricted in order to prevent the world market from being oversupplied. At the same time, considering that the remaining life of nickel reserves is only enough for the next ten years or so, full support is required for ongoing smelter projects to avoid the nickel traders, who have already invested heavily, from being harmed by the policy.In 2009, the relevant law regulated the downstream implementation of the mineral materials industry, and the government imposed an export ban in January 2014 in accordance with the law.