Nickel Industries Ltd. has received approval to increase its 2025 nickel ore sales quota for its Hengjaya mine, allowing the company to immediately resume deliveries into the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).
The Indonesian government approved an increase from 9 million wet metric tonnes (wmt) to 10.5 million wmt for 2025.
The approval follows the recent sign-off of the Indonesian mine’s Analisis Mengenai Dampak Lingkungan (AMDAL) by Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment.
The Indonesian government has banned the export of nickel ore as of 2022 to strengthen domestic processing facilities.
The AMDAL approval applies for a five-year period and also underpins approval for an increased quota in 2026. Nickel Industries expects final approval of its 2026 nickel quota shortly, targeting annual sales of 19 million wmt.
The newly approved AMDAL includes Indonesia’s first authorised in-pit tailings storage system.
The design incorporates a dedicated pipeline linking the Excelsior Nickel Cobalt (ENC) HPAL project to the Hengjaya Mine for the transport of tailings prior to dry-stack storage and pit rehabilitation.
The approval also permits the transport of limonite ore to ENC via slurry pipeline, reducing both cost and emissions compared with conventional haulage.
Nickel Industries Managing Director Justin Werner said the approvals marked an important step in accelerating the company’s production plans.
“The AMDAL approval is the first of its kind to permit the use of a pipeline to return HPAL tailings to the mine for storage, re-contouring and revegetation.
“This innovation will significantly contribute to our goal of positioning ENC as the lowest carbon and cost-intensive HPAL globally, producing diversified class 1 and intermediary nickel products.”
