Nickel Production in Raja Ampat is Small Compared to Other Regions

Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua Province (a newly established province from West Papua Province), is suffering from nickel mining pollution.

This is evident, for example, in reports from TribunSorong.com, which show photos of muddy brown seawater on the coast of Kawe Island, Raja Ampat.

"We are living witnesses, seeing firsthand the environmental conditions in the nickel mining concession area. The environmental damage is visible; the waters are becoming polluted," said Ronisel Mambrasar, a resident of Raja Ampat, as reported by TribunSorong.com (June 5, 2025).

According to Ronisel, parts of Raja Ampat, once lush green, are now bare due to nickel mining. The loading and unloading of mining materials have also changed the color of the seawater from blue to brown.

"For example, Gag and Kawe Islands, which should be protected because they are home to fish species, are now damaged by mining waste," said Ronisel.

Nevertheless, nickel production in Raja Ampat is relatively small compared to other regions.

This is evident from data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS).

According to their study, West Papua Province and its surroundings—including Southwest Papua Province and Raja Ampat Regency—only have a nickel production capacity of around 5,000 tons per year.

This figure is a combination of production of feronickel, nickel pig iron, nickel sulfate, nickel matte, and other nickel products.

Meanwhile, in Central Sulawesi, North Maluku, and Southeast Sulawesi, the production capacity reaches 6 to 7 million tons per year.

Here is a breakdown of nickel commodity production capacity in Indonesian provinces according to the CREA and CELIOS study, ordered from largest to smallest:

• Central Sulawesi: 7.01 million tons per year
• North Maluku: 6.67 million tons per year
• Southeast Sulawesi: 6.40 million tons per year
• South Sulawesi: 678,000 tons per year
• Banten: 373,000 tons per year
• South Kalimantan: 63,000 tons per year
• East Java: 34,000 tons per year
• West Papua: 5,000 tons per year

According to CREA and CELIOS, regardless of location, nickel commodity production can cause environmental pollution that is harmful to health.

"Analysis shows that full operation of nominal production capacity will result in 5,000 deaths and an economic burden of US$3.42 billion per year due to the health impacts of air pollution," they stated in their report, Refuting the Myth of Added Value, Re-examining the Nickel Downstreaming Industry (February 2024).

In response to this situation, CREA and CELIOS are urging the government to control the nickel industry, including by implementing strict ESG (environmental, social, governance) requirements in the financial sector.

"Banks should avoid providing financing to companies that fail to meet environmental and labor protection standards, and integrate ESG disclosures to demonstrate operational integrity," they said.