Key Points
- Indonesia plans to play a huge role in the electric vehicle uprising.
- The world’s largest nickel producer will soon be a global player in the EV industry.
- The locals claim the EV program could disturb/destroy their environment.
The sizable nickel reserves of Indonesia will play a huge role in the uprising of electric vehicles. Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, plans to utilize the nickel reserves to be a global player in the EV market. Despite the potential for development, locals show concern regarding the impact the change would cause on environmental regulations.
The operation to join the electric vehicle market imposes hindrances to the lives of certain locals. The locals of the Wawonii island have been opposing the mining work for 5 years. The chopping down of trees and impact on environmental regulations paved the way for the riot. Land clearing occurs continuously and mining will soon start too.
Nickel, a key component in the manufacture of EV batteries, overflows in Indonesia. Hence, Indonesia intends to utilize the nickel resources and enter the EV market. According to the United States Geological Survey, Indonesia ranked the largest nickel producer in the world. In 2021, Indonesia produced one million metric tons of nickel.
With countries around the world distancing themselves from the usage of fossil fuel, EVs take the spotlight. Also, EVs will cut down the emission of greenhouse gasses and support environmental regulations in the long-term. Indonesia plans to enter the competitive market by producing EV batteries.
“Our country has enormous mineral resources to support the development of electric cars,” said the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
The Indonesian government also intends on manufacturing EVs manually. Although the improvement in economy is in plain sight, some of the locals remain unconvinced. However, the Indonesian government imagines a better future for the country by utilizing its resources to the fullest extent.
Reference,
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia
