Mining Intelligence and News
Indonesia

SCM Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Cobalt
  • Saprolite
  • Limonite
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe SCM Mine is a globally significant, high-quality, low-cost mining operation. The mine is known for its substantial nickel resources and high-grade deposits, making it one of the largest undeveloped nickel assets in the world.

The SCM Mine produces saprolite nickel ore, which is supplied as raw material for the RKEF smelters, and limonite nickel ore, which is supplied as raw material for the HPAL plants.

SCM Mine's large resource will ensure a multi-decade feedstock supply of nickel ore for downstream operations.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk 25.52 % Indirect
Ownership Tree
As of December 2024, PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk holds a 50.04% ownership stake in PT Merdeka Battery Materials Tbk (MBMA). MBMA, through its subsidiary PT Merdeka Industri Mineral (MIN), holds a 51% stake in the SCM Mine.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Laterite

Summary:

SCM is one of the world’s largest laterite nickel resources.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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EV - Electric

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

Summary:

The SCM Mine produces saprolite nickel ore, which is supplied as raw material for the RKEF smelters, and limonite nickel ore, which is supplied as raw material for the HPAL plants. (Translated from Indonesian using AI Tools)

RKEF Smelters
BMA Group owns a 50.1% share in three fully operational RKEF smelters within Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).

There are 2 operations and profitable RKEF Smelters, PT Cahaya Smelter Indonesia (CSID) and PT Bukit Smelter Indonesia (BSID), each capable of producing 19,000 tonnes of nickel in NPI per annum.

MBMA also has a third smelter which has been operating from the second half of 2023, PT Zhao Hui Nickel (ZHN), with a nameplate capacity of 50,000 tonnes of nickel in NPI per annum.

To capture additional downstream value, MBMA plans to modify existing smelters lines to produce low-grade nickel matte, a key feedstock in high-grade nickel matte conversion.

HPAL plants
The HPAL pro ........

Commodity Production

CommodityUnits202520242023
Saprolite M wmt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Limonite M wmt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
All production numbers are expressed as ore. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production Costs

CommodityUnits202520242023
Cash costs Limonite USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs Saprolite USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Mine Financials

Units20242023
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Pre-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 23, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 23, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 23, 2025

Workforce

Aerial view:

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