"Indonesia and China’s Battery Alliance Must Be Built on Sustainability", China Global South Project, 2 July 2025

Indonesia currently operates 44 nickel smelters [...]. These smelters are already straining to secure enough nickel ore. Adding another [...] as proposed in the new CBL-led project in Halmahera, risks exacerbating this imbalance.

[...] What kind of energy will power this so-called green revolution?

Past smelters—many Chinese-financed—have relied heavily on captive coal-fired power plants, undermining any claim to sustainability.

[...] it is time for financial institutions, especially Chinese banks, to adopt rigorous environmental and social safeguards before funding smelters and associated infrastructure. [...].