Jakarta, MINE – Indonesia is preparing various aspects to start production of rare earth metals (LTJ) or rare earth elements (REE), starting from drafting regulations, calculating resources and reserves, to mapping their distribution.
This was conveyed by the Head of the Mineral Industry Agency, Brian Yuliarto, who also serves as Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, at the Rare Earth Metals Seminar organized by the ITB Geological Engineering Alumni Association, in Bandung, Saturday, (1/11).
“We are currently preparing everything starting from regulations, then calculating the resources that Indonesia has, what the composition is like, what the distribution is like. We are currently also starting studies on the production, separation and purification processes of rare earth metals,” he said.
Brian explained that various inventory results from researchers in Indonesia who have carried out the separation and purification of rare earth metals are currently being collected and studied further. He added that a number of countries are known to have closed access to rare earth metal processing technology.
“We have collected various inventories from researchers in Indonesia who have worked on separation and purification. How do we understand that several countries have closed technology related to rare earth metals,” he added.
Therefore, even though Indonesia continues to maintain communication with these countries, development efforts are still carried out by relying on technology that has been mastered by domestic researchers.
“Even though we are holding talks with them, we are still using technology that has been mastered by Indonesian researchers,” he added.
Currently the government is calculating the potential for rare earth metals in Indonesia. Brian said, there were three main sources that were the focus of the study. The first source is a primary source, some of the data of which has been produced by the Geological Agency and is currently in the advanced survey stage.
“We are currently carrying out calculations because the potential for rare earth metals actually has three sources, the first is the primary source, some data has been produced by the geological agency and is currently being surveyed,” he explained.
The second source, said Brian, is a secondary source, which comes from tailings or residual production of main minerals such as tin, nickel, bauxite, and FABA (fly ash bottom ash).
“These two secondary sources, secondary resources come from tailings or residual production from the main minerals, namely tin, nickel, bauxite, FABA,” he said.
All of this potential is being calculated and verified to ensure the size of Indonesia’s rare earth metal resources. The calculation results are targeted to be announced in November or early December.
“So, we will calculate everything again, we will make sure, I think around November or early December, we will announce how many resources we actually have,” explained Brian.
Meanwhile, the Chancellor of ITB, Tata Cipta Dirgantara, said that his party expressed readiness to support the development of rare earth metals through two main aspects, namely providing technology and strengthening human resources.
“In response to the Minister’s statement, of course ITB will provide two things, firstly technology and secondly human resources,” he said.
He said, as a higher education institution, ITB believes that the role of universities cannot stand alone, but must collaborate with industry and various other stakeholders. The spirit of technological independence was also emphasized, in line with the Minister’s message that if other countries are reluctant to share technology, Indonesia must be able to master it itself.
“We also cannot work alone, we work together with industry, with all stakeholders because as the Minister said, if other people don’t want to give it, we will control it,” he concluded.
Source: www.tambang.co.id
