Indonesia is building out a vast industry for nickel, used for batteries in things like electric cars and cell phones. An analysis of government data reviewed by The AP shows deforestation more than doubles when nickel processing plants come online.A boat cruises past the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park in Central Halmahera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, Saturday, June 8, 2024. Indonesia has been building out a vast industry for nickel.
Then 10 years ago, Indonesian officials decided the country should stop selling its resources so cheaply and instead refine them, to provide employment and fetch higher prices. A massive nickel buildout ensued. President Joko Widodo has bolstered this, co-locating nickel smelters with EV battery factories.
A vast tropical archipelago, Indonesia is the world’s third most rainforest-covered country, home to giant forest flowers and endangered orangutans and elephants. Max Sigoro, 54, a traditional hunter and farmer, echoes Loha. Bright lights and noise from construction repel the deer he used to hunt at night. He says he’s lost nearly all his previous income since the industrial park’s expansion.