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Japanese metal supplier Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) decided on 25 April to withdraw from a planned nickel refining project at Pomalaa in Indonesia because of a scheduling disagreement with Vale Indonesia.
SMM and Vale Indonesia, a 44pc-owned subsidiary of Brazilian mining giant Vale, had planned to build a high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) nickel refining plant at Pomalaa in south Sulawesi. SMM has a 15.03pc stake in the Indonesian firm. The proposed HPAL plant would produce 40,000 t/yr of nickel. Start-up was targeted for sometime in the mid-2020s.
The partners planned to complete a feasibility study by the end of March 2020, then finalise an investment decision. But the prolonged impact of the Covid-19 pandemic complicated the schedule. SMM suggested spending more time on project planning, while Vale Indonesia wanted to move quicker.
Vale Indonesia is considering continuing the project with its other partners. SMM will keep its stake in Vale Indonesia.
SMM is still targeting to have a total nickel production of 150,000 t/yr in the long run. Its domestic nickel production totalled 55,900t in 2020-21.But the company did not disclose how it will cover for the production loss from the Pomalaa project.
Source: Xinhua
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