Harita Nickel mine is first in Indonesia to commit to IRMA audit

PT Trimegah Bangun Persada, Tbk  or Harita Nickel, an integrated nickel mining and processing company, has committed its nickel mining and related processing operations to third-party independent assessment against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Harita Nickel’s mine is the first in Indonesia to formally commit to an IRMA audit. Harita Nickel is located on Obi Island, South Halmahera, North Maluku.

“By volunteering the Harita Nickel mining operation for independent audit against the world’s most rigorous global mining standard, Harita Nickel is providing unprecedented transparency into the operations of an Indonesian mine,” said IRMA Executive Director Aimee Boulanger. “Harita will provide affected stakeholders with information they can use to engage the company in dialogue about how to make their mine more responsible. This is especially timely given the importance of nickel to support the energy transition, and the demand from downstream purchasers to source more responsibly mined nickel, particularly for the automotive and renewable energy sectors.”

“Harita Nickel’s commitment to undergoing the rigorous IRMA audit reflects their dedication to responsible mining practices in Indonesia. We highly appreciate their initiative, which not only sets a benchmark for the industry but also supports the government’s vision for a more transparent, and environmentally and socially responsible mining sector. This effort underscores the importance of aligning national industrialization with global standards, ensuring long-term benefits for our communities and the environment,” said Septian Hario Seto, Indonesia’s Deputy of Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment.

“We want our purchasers to have confidence that they are buying responsibly sourced nickel,” said Roy Arman Arfandy, President Director of PT Trimegah Bangun Persada, Tbk (Harita Nickel). “By undergoing an independent IRMA audit, we aim to align our operations with best practices and, with affected stakeholders and rights holders, identify areas for ongoing improvement. We are committed to aligning with international standards for responsible mining for the long term.”

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is (1) a voluntary mining standard describing best practices to protect people and the environment, (2) an assurance process to measure mines against that standard, and (3) an organization equally governed by representatives of six affected stakeholder sectors – communities, organized labor, NGOs, finance, purchasers and mining companies — that controls the standard and the assurance process. IRMA is globally unique in that its governance provides communities equal power to mining companies, and the non-commercial interests have the same power as commercial interests.

Harita Nickel holds mining licenses, under which mining operations commenced in 2010. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, the Company has been operating high-grade nickel ore (saprolite) smelters since 2017, low-grade nickel ore (limonite) processing refinery facilities since 2021, and a nickel and cobalt sulfate refinery since 2023. All these facilities are located in Harita Nickel’s 2 active mining concession areas, on former mining pits. Harita Nickel produces key raw materials for electric vehicle batteries – by processing and refining low-grade nickel ore (limonite) using High-Pressure Acid Leach to produce Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP), which is then further processed into nickel sulfate (NiSO4) and cobalt sulfate (CoSO4).

SCS Global Services, an IRMA-approved independent audit firm, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desktop review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). Using the contact information below, members of the affected community, public officials, representatives of the workforce, or other interested parties are invited to submit comments starting now regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gasses, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community. Interested parties may also ask to be interviewed by auditors once they are on the mine site.

For More Information

• To follow the progress of the IRMA assessment, visit the IRMA website for Harita Nickel independent assessment status page
• If you would like more information on how the audits are conducted against the IRMA standard — contact IRMA’s Director of Assurance: Michelle Smith, [email protected]
• Interested parties may contact the independent audit firm SCS Global Services, to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process.  At least 30 days prior to the onsite audit, SCS will make its own announcement and invitation directly to local communities and workers. The audit firm can be reached by email at: [email protected]