Tesla has contacted Indonesia informally about possible investments in the country, which is a major producer of nickel, a metal for batteries.
“We need to continue discussions with Tesla,” said Ayodhia Kalake, a senior official at the Ministry of Coordination for Maritime Investments.
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Tesla wants an increase in battery production
Tesla wants to increase battery production as EV and model production increases, and CEO Elon Musk recently urged nickel miners to produce more nickel, which would support the global expansion of batteries and EVs.
“Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way. So we hope this message gets across to all mining companies,” Musk said on the second-quarter earnings call about making investments in this area at the end of July.
Nickel cells have a higher energy density, so they have a longer range.
In a Twitter exchange several days later, Musk said that “Nickel is the biggest challenge for long-range, high-volume batteries!
Australia and Canada are doing very well. US nickel production is objectively very poor. Indonesia is great. “Analysts said at the time that sourcing nickel with a low carbon footprint could be difficult for Tesla, as Indonesian miners would be pumping the waste out to sea.
Nickel processing for batteries and possible investments
During Battery Day, Musk also said the California-based automaker has found a streamlined way to process nickel that it suggests will eliminate the dissolution process for Class 1 nickel.
Miller said the new route of processing nickel to cathodes holds promise and is an area where more advances can be made to reduce costs and reduce the environmental impact of the supply chain. "However, further clarification is needed before assessing the feasibility of this new processing route."
For Woodmac's Mulshaw, while Tesla details are sketchy, this is already largely happening. “Mixed sulfides and mixed hydroxide precipitates are already being converted directly into sulfates suitable for cathode production – so it's not really a new development,” he said.
