Indonesia develops nickel processing technology with 98% material recovery

Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has developed a new nickel ore processing technology capable of recovering up to 98 per cent of materials that would otherwise become waste. The innovation is designed to improve resource efficiency while supporting more sustainable use of the country's mineral resources, as reported by Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a partner of TV BRICS.

Unlike conventional refining methods, which generally process a single type of nickel ore, the new technology can treat both saprolite and limonite ores within one integrated refining process. It also replaces energy-intensive pyrometallurgical techniques with a modified Caron process, helping to reduce energy consumption while increasing the recovery of valuable materials.

Lead researcher Iwan Setiawan explained that the technology is based on the principle of fully utilising available resources. In addition to nickel, the process recovers iron and magnesium, enabling all three minerals to be transformed into products with economic value and significantly reducing waste.

The technology has successfully completed laboratory and semi-pilot testing, with processing trials ranging from dozens to hundreds of kilogrammes of ore, confirming its technical feasibility. The next stage will involve the construction of a pilot plant to assess the technology's economic viability for future industrial application.