Indonesia to lift sulphur imports on EV battery demand

Indonesia expects to boost its sulphur imports in the second half of the year because of increased high-pressure acid-leaching (HPAL) operations to support the growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Sulphur is used in sulphur burners to produce sulphuric acid, which is used to separate nickel and cobalt from ore in the HPAL process to produce mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP). MHP is the main feedstock to produce nickel sulphate and nickel cathode, which are the feedstocks for battery, special steel and nickel-based alloy production.

Indonesia imported 41pc more sulphur in January-July this year, totalling 1.91mn t, the latest GTT data show. Deliveries from the UAE and Canada more than doubled from a year ago, reaching 478,100t and 258,300t respectively. Imports from Saudi Arabia more than tripled on the year to 609,300t.

Sulphuric acid imports over the same period fell by 14pc on the year to 641,700t, after several buyers started new sulphur burners and switched to buying sulphur. Some importers also switched to buying lower priced domestic product following a rise in import offers because of supply constraints in east Asia. Sulphuric acid deliveries from China and the Philippines fell by 56pc and 47pc on the year to 175,700t and 58,800t respectively.

Sulphur demand rose this year following the expansion of sulphur burning operations at Obi Island and Sulawesi.

Chinese nickel producer Ningbo Lygend's Indonesian subsidiary Halmahera Persada Lygend reached full capacity at its ONC project in north Maluku province on 2 September, just two months after starting operations. This latest expansion brings Lygend's total nickel capacity by HPAL to 120,000t/yr, compared with an estimated 55,000t/yr a year ago.

Chinese producer Green Eco-Manufacture's (GEM) QMB HPAL project is also expected to increase its sulphur demand by around 570,000t/yr by the end of 2024 with the start-up of two sulphur burners in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).

By Deon Ngee