EcoPro said on the 23rd that it held a reactor acceptance ceremony on the 22nd (local time) at the construction site of the BNSI smelter in Indonesia.

The reactor is a key facility that separates nickel and cobalt by reacting nickel ore with a sulfuric acid solution in a high-temperature, high-pressure environment. The BNSI smelter is slated to produce 90,000 tons of nickel annually, and three reactors, each with a production capacity of 30,000 tons, will be installed. Two units have been accepted so far, and the remaining one is scheduled for acceptance in September.

Dignitaries including Lee Dong-chae, founder of EcoPro (fifth from right), pose for a commemorative photo at the reactor delivery ceremony held on the 22nd (local time) at the BNSI smelter construction site in Sulawesi, Indonesia. /Courtesy of EcoPro

Once three reactors are installed, the core facilities needed to operate the smelter will be in place. The BNSI smelter could be completed and begin trial production as early as the end of this year, with full-scale operation to follow in the second quarter of next year.

The Indonesian government designated the area around the BNSI smelter as a bonded zone to coincide with the reactor acceptance. As a result, customs and tax procedures for importing and exporting equipment and various raw and subsidiary materials have been streamlined, which is expected to boost operational efficiency.

The BNSI smelter is a joint venture in which EcoPro Group participates as the largest shareholder with 39% equity, Indonesia's state-run mining company PTVI holds 30%, and China's GEM has 21%.

EcoPro Group has invested in equity in a nickel smelter in Indonesia to strengthen cost competitiveness in nickel, which accounts for about half of costs. In the first-phase project, it secured 29,000 tons of nickel annually, and with the second-phase investment, it will add 36,000 tons per year, giving it rights to a total supply of 65,000 tons of nickel.

EcoPro founder Lee Dong-chae said in a congratulatory address, "The reactor accepted today is a core facility of the Indonesia BNSI project and a milestone that opens the future of Indonesia's battery industry," adding, "The BNSI project has moved beyond the planning stage and taken a big step toward full-scale construction and completion."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.