Reactor acceptance at the BNSI smelter
EcoPro said on July 23 that it held a reactor acceptance ceremony on July 22 local time at the construction site of the BNSI smelter in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The reactor is a key facility that separates nickel and cobalt by reacting nickel ore with a sulfuric acid solution in a high-temperature, high-pressure environment. The BNSI smelter is slated to produce 90,000 tonnes of nickel annually, with three reactors, each with a production capacity of 30,000 tonnes, to be installed. Two units have been accepted so far, and the remaining one is scheduled for acceptance in September.
Timeline toward trial and full operation
Once all three reactors are installed, the core facilities needed to operate the smelter will be in place. EcoPro said the BNSI smelter could be completed and begin trial production as early as the end of 2026, with full-scale operation to follow in the second quarter of 2027.
Indonesian bonded-zone designation
The Indonesian government designated the area around the BNSI smelter as a bonded zone to coincide with the reactor acceptance. The designation streamlines customs and tax procedures for importing and exporting equipment and various raw and subsidiary materials, which EcoPro said is expected to improve operational efficiency.
Joint venture structure and supply rights
The BNSI smelter is a joint venture in which EcoPro Group participates as the largest shareholder with 39% equity, Indonesia's state-run mining company PTVI holds 30%, and China's GEM has 21%. EcoPro has invested in equity in a nickel smelter in Indonesia to strengthen cost competitiveness in nickel, which it said accounts for about half of costs. The first-phase project secured 29,000 tonnes of nickel annually, and the second-phase investment will add 36,000 tonnes per year, giving the group rights to a total supply of 65,000 tonnes of nickel.
Leadership remarks
EcoPro founder Lee Dong-chae said in a congratulatory address that "the reactor accepted today is a core facility of the Indonesia BNSI project and a milestone that opens the future of Indonesia's battery industry," adding that "the BNSI project has moved beyond the planning stage and taken a big step toward full-scale construction and completion."
Canada Nickel's Crawford project
Separately, Mining Technology reported on July 22 that Canada Nickel's Crawford project reached the final federal assessment stage. The available evidence on this development is limited to the headline-level confirmation in the supplied source material.
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