Indonesia and Britain signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, establishing a collaboration on critical minerals, further positioning both countries as key players in the global supply chain. The agreement aims to enhance policy dialogue, share technical expertise, and focus on areas like supply chain resilience, sustainable mineral processing, and addressing mineral criticality, according to a statement from the UK's embassy in Jakarta.
Britain’s development minister, Anneliese Dodds, emphasized the significance of this partnership, saying it marks an important step for both countries in strengthening their roles within the critical minerals supply chain. Dodds signed the agreement with Indonesia’s energy minister, solidifying the collaborative efforts.
Indonesia, renowned for its vast mineral resources including tin, copper, and bauxite, also holds the title of the world’s largest source of nickel ore, a key component in electric vehicle battery manufacturing. The country has been making strides in extracting more value from its mineral wealth by drawing investments into processing and electric vehicle battery production.
This collaboration comes on the heels of the United States’ recent proposal to include Indonesia in a multinational critical minerals partnership, aimed at fostering the development of sustainable supply chains.
Indonesia has significantly expanded its nickel processing sector since imposing a ban on unprocessed ore exports in 2020. However, environmental concerns have arisen, with critics blaming the sector for deforestation, water pollution, and air quality issues stemming from smelter operations.
Speaking to Reuters earlier, Dodds highlighted that the partnership with Indonesia is intended to not only create local jobs but also ensure that environmental protection is a priority, describing the agreement as "incredibly important."
Comments
Post a Comment