At the festival, Merdeka Group showcased an exhibition booth representing PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk and PT Merdeka Battery Materials Tbk (MBM). The booth featured posters, videos, infographics, and various mineral samples, highlighting Merdeka’s sustainability performance and how the company optimizes every mined mineral to create valuable products, especially for the global electric vehicle industry. The booth also hosted recycling workshops, transforming used cans into plant pots and leftover textile materials into tote bags.

On the second day of the festival, three speakers from Merdeka Group participated in a talk show titled “Optimizing the Integrated Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chain to Support Global Energy Transition and National Decarbonization Agenda.”

Muhammad Toha, General Manager of Compliance, began the discussion by emphasizing Indonesia’s significant potential in the nickel industry, which accounts for 23.7% of the world’s nickel reserves. He explained how MBM utilizes new technology to process low-grade nickel that was previously considered unvaluable. MBM’s business assets, such as the Sulawesi Cahaya Mineral (SCM) nickel mine, the AIM (Acid, Iron, Metal) Plant, and the advanced smelting technologies being developed, including the Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) and High-Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) facilities, will play a critical role in supporting the global energy transition.

Bahtiar Manurung, Sustainability Manager, continued by outlining Merdeka Group’s commitment to sustainability through clear and comprehensive policies, strategies, and governance. He stressed the importance of achieving Net Zero Emissions by 2050 for Scope 1 and 2 and highlighted the development of the Climate Change Policy. Merdeka Group has also purchased Renewable Energy Certificates from PT PLN (Persero), ensuring that 100 percent of the electricity for the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine now comes from renewable energy sources. Additionally, solar panels have been installed at the Wetar Copper Mine, and a 35% biodiesel blend is being used for operational vehicles across all of Merdeka Group’s mining sites.

Eben Ezer Sirait, Environmental Manager, concluded the session by discussing Merdeka Group’s innovative and sustainable environmental management practices. He explained how Merdeka adopts a circular approach in its business by utilizing residual ore from the Wetar Copper Mine as feedstock for the AIM Plant. This plant produces sulfuric acid and saturated steam, which will be used at the HPAL plant. The use of by-products from ore processing at the Wetar Copper Mine is a form of mineral conservation—while also conserving the environment, as the once environmentally burdensome acid-containing ore is now processed into valuable raw materials.

Merdeka Group’s participation in LIKE 2 Festival reflects the company’s commitment to sustainability and its active role in the global energy transition and decarbonization efforts. This involvement aligns with the festival’s spirit, which underscores the importance of balancing industry with conservation for the future.

Artikel Merdeka Group’s Commitment to Sustainability and Energy Transition at the LIKE 2 Festival pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

On Wetar Island, Southwest Maluku, the Wetar Copper Mine organized a beach clean-up activity coinciding with World Environment Day on 5 June 2023. Five days later, a beach clean-up was also held at Parang Semar Beach, Banyuwangi, East Java by PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI), the operator of the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine. This activity is part of the National Environment Day celebrations, coinciding in 135 locations across 37 provinces in Indonesia, held by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), with the theme of plastic pollution solutions, the same as World Environment Day. On that day, BSI and the local community successfully cleared Parang Semar Beach of 536 kg of waste.

Furthermore, BSI engaged over 400 individuals from various backgrounds in planting 2,023 mangrove stems on Parang Semar Beach. This activity is the result of cooperation between BSI and Perhutani, the East Java Forestry Service, and the Environment Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Center in Banyuwangi. On June 4, 2023, 500 mangrove stems which are very important for this coastal ecosystem were also planted by the Pani Gold Project in the Coastal Area of the Panua Nature Reserve, Pohuwato Regency, Sulawesi.

These activities support the government’s effort to restore 600 thousand hectares of mangrove forest. Apart from supporting the coastal communities’ economy through the preservation of crucial habitats for small animals,

Mangroves serve as natural defenses against erosion and tsunami. Additionally, mangroves absorb four to five times more carbon than terrestrial tropical forests. As Indonesia possesses the world’s largest expanse of mangroves, surpassing Brazil, Nigeria, Australia, and Mexico, which together with Indonesia comprise 50 percent of the world’s mangroves, restoring mangrove plays a pivotal role in reducing global carbon emissions. The effort is in line with Merdeka’s commitment to contribute to climate change initiatives.

In line with the commitment, Merdeka Group routinely engages in tree planting activities. During this environmental month, the Wetar Copper Mine planted trees in the Lerokis area of Wetar Island on June 1, 2023. Similarly, the AIM (Acid, Iron, Metal) Project planted trees at the Makarti, employees’ camp.

The company also hosted various environmental events including webinar on the mining environment programs and educational campaigns on hygiene and healthy living for elementary school students by the Pani Gold Project. BSI’s environmental activities which will extend until September 2023, encompassing initiatives such as an environmental awareness campaign for high school students, hatchling release, and coral transplants.

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Artikel Merdeka Group Environment Month pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

The Cooperation Agreement (PKS) was signed for securing the Wetar Copper Mine on 16 February 2023 by Boyke P. Abidin, Director of BKP-BTR, and Head of the Maluku Regional Police, Inspector General of Police Lotharia Latif at the Maluku Regional Police Headquarters, Ambon City.

“The Wetar Copper Mine has copper as well as other minerals that are crucial for making raw materials for the world’s electric vehicle batteries,” said Boyke P. Abidin. “Security of mining operations is very necessary.”

The security cooperation of the Wetar copper mine has been going on since 2018 and in this agreement, the period of the previous agreement which was two years changed to five years. This agreement refers to Merdeka’s Human Rights Policy and Police Regulation No. 7 of 2019 concerning Assistance in Security Services for National Vital Objects and Certain Objects. In this cooperation, the Wetar Copper Mine is included in the status of a Certain Object.

“The signing of the PKS is following President Joko Widodo’s directions during a meeting of the military and police leaders last week,” said the Inspector General of Police. Lotharia Latif, “so that the military and police will help secure the smooth running of mining operations.”

In the cost of security services that are in line with the Indonesian Police Index Norms, there is also an obligation to pay Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP). Through this collaboration, in addition to obtaining security guarantees, the Wetar Copper Mine also contributes to PNBP.

Artikel Wetar Copper Mine Security Cooperation pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

This step is in line with the commitment of PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk (Merdeka) to reduce carbon emissions. Merdeka targets to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 29% by 2030 and achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2050. This Renewable Energy Certificate will reduce Scope 2 GHG emissions, namely indirect GHG emissions from power plants.

The Renewable Energy Certificate Sale and Purchase Agreement was signed on November 1, 2022, by Boyke Abidin, Director of BSI, and Syaifuddin, Manager of PLN Banyuwangi Customer Service Implementation Unit, in Nusa Dua, Bali. The signing was also carried out with various other companies in the event which is a series of G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in mid-November 2022 in Bali. “With this purchase of renewable energy, the Merdeka Group through BSI will reduce Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions by 100 percent at the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine operation in Banyuwangi,” said Boyke Abidin.

The use of renewable energy is a positive step toward realizing Merdeka’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions. Merdeka is also exploring reducing GHG emissions through the Solar Power Plant for the Wetar Copper Mine and the Hydro Power Plant for the nickel mining project in Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi.

Artikel The Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine Uses National Electricity Companies Renewable Energy pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

Three BKP-BTR employees scored achievements in the Innovation Award event. Thanks to the concept of increasing production by 15 percent, Oman is the best.

Operations of the Wetar Copper Mine on Friday, April 1 went as normal: those in the office were busy with administration, and those in the field were doing their respective tasks. By evening, the atmosphere changed. Abdurrahman’s name was suddenly widely discussed verbally and in WhatsApp text messages among Batutua Kharisma Permai and Batutua Tembaga Raya (BKP-BTR), the company that operates copper mining and processing on Wetar Island.

What’s wrong with Abdurrahman? The commotion arose because Merdeka Copper Gold in Jakarta, the holding company of the Wetar Copper Mine, had just announced that Abdurrahman was the first winner in the Innovation Award, a competition for innovation creation between employees to increase safety and production, as well as save costs and improve the environment.

The names of the winners were announced that day. The competition itself has been going on since October 2021. The selection is done in stages, each site or subsidiary sends five names, then by the committee at the head office these names are assessed again until 10 finalists appear.

Which one is Abdurrahman? Commonly called Oman, huh? Uh, which Oman is that? What did he do? Where is she? Can you send the photo? Questions like these are milling about.

When his name began to be mentioned, the owner himself was in one of the rooms in the Recreation Hall, a sports facility and meeting for BKP-BTR employees, for the presentation process and the jury’s assessment of the top 10 Innovation Award finalists which took place via the Zoom application. In the same room were Kiagus Zulkifli and Lutfiyah Dea Gita, two other finalists from Wetar, and Mohammad Adithya Putra—a friend who also helped Oman in compiling the competition materials.

“Yes! Alhamdulillah!”

Zulkifli exclaimed when his name appeared on the screen as the first runner-up. He received applause from others, including two BKP-BTR staff who helped facilitate the event, Rada Maruto, and Mariska Sindy Lontoh. After a while, the name ABDURRAHMAN – WETAR appeared on the screen as the first winner. Applause immediately erupted in the room. Oman who has a calm demeanor just smiles back, his lips moving to say alhamdulillah. Thanks to his victory, Oman received prize money of IDR30 million.

Naturally, Oman is not well known on the Wetar site. He has only been joining BKP-BTR for seven months, since October 2021 to be exact. This Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Indonesia is assigned to the Plant Metallurgist Section – Crushing Heapleach, Processing Department. The man from Padang admitted that he took part in the competition because he wanted to gain experience and compete to be the best in terms of improvement and efficiency. For him, the competition is also a moment to hone himself in thinking carefully, working together in a team, and practicing his ability to speak in public.

In the Innovation Award, Oman submitted the topic of Cost Efficiency to Production Wetar Copper Mine in the Crushing-Heapleach Sector. This topic is a proposed step to change the production method which experienced a decline in the previous year. “This topic has been implemented as a project and has resulted in a 15 percent increase in production,” said Oman. The project was carried out by Oman with two of his colleagues, Adhit and Kemi Kharisma, both of whom also work in the metallurgical department. They prepared a project for two months and collaborated with other related departments. “We also get guidance from the senior metallurgists here,” said Oman.

Meanwhile, Zukifli from Palembang presented his idea about financing drilling and blasting. The proposal is how to reduce funding by reducing the use of explosives and their accessories. This Bachelor of Mining Engineering from Sriwijaya University is motivated to participate in the Innovation Award because he is concerned with efforts to increase production while saving production costs. Zulkifli, who has been working in the Mine Planning – Mining Department since 2019, tested his proposal from June to September 2021 with six colleagues and under the guidance of the mining technical leaders at the Wetar Copper Mine, namely Edi Widodo and Muhamad Faizal.

Meanwhile, Lutfiyah, who is usually called Upi, joined the competition, one of which was because of the attractive prize money. The innovation proposed by Upi, who works in Processing – Operations, is how to create added value from used waste into metal commodities. This Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) got the idea from his colleague Brian Swahadana, fellow ITB alumni.

The idea arose when there was a problem related to the storage and management of waste that was categorized as hazardous and toxic (B3) and BKP-BTR did not have an adequate place to store lead waste, which included B3 in large quantities. The Upi project, which is also assisted by Brian Swahadana and Alvi Adli, also alumni of ITB, offers an effort that can eliminate the risk of environmental pollution due to B3 waste as well as eliminate the cost of procuring storage facilities or handing over management to third parties. “From the calculation simulation that we carried out starting in mid-2021, savings could be made of up to 40 percent,” said Upi, an employee from Cirebon, who is now in his fourth year at Wetar. For this project, Upi got the eighth position.

Artikel Innovation Award Winners from Wetar Copper Mine pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

Through competitions and competitions, Merdeka group employees put their skills to the test.

Employee competitions can increase the enthusiasm, creativity, and togetherness of employees at work. That is what Merdeka Copper Gold wants to trigger when holding the Merdeka Innovation Award (MIA) other than to find the latest innovations, which can be applied in the company, directly from employees who best understand their work practices. With a total prize of Rp. 100 million, MIA opens registrations from November 2021 to January 31, 2022. The innovations sought are those that can improve safety and production, save costs, and improve the environment, both new ideas and those that have been implemented. Participants can be a work team, at least two people.

“This competition provides an opportunity for Merdeka people to show their abilities, along with the progress of Merdeka,” said Boyke Abidin, Merdeka’s Chief External Affairs, who was on the jury with Albert Saputro, Merdeka’s President Director; Eric Rahardja, Chief of Commercial and Business Support Merdeka; and Raymond Hadisubrata, a management consultant representing independent parties.

Of the 45 participating teams, which came from Merdeka and its subsidiaries, 10 finalist teams were selected which were further selected into five winners: first to third place winners and two hopeful winners. The first winner came from Batutua Kharisma Permai and Batutua Tembaga Raya (BKP-BTR), employees who have only worked for six months named Abdurrahman, better known as Oman. Through the Crush Size Optimization innovation, he proposed a change in production methods that could reduce costs that had been implemented with two of his colleagues, Adhit and Kemi Kharisma, who were also working with other departments. The result? “The increase in production by 15 percent,” said Oman.

Meanwhile, Aldaka Wiguna from the Geoscience department (PSF Data Lead) of Bumi Suksesindo (BSI), the second winner in this competition, used machine learning to help analyze various geological data. That way, the analysis becomes more objective because it is truly data-based, and can be used to make various decisions, from legal, social, resource, environmental, to mining operations. Aldaka, who is usually called Aldo, considers this competition very good, “Because it provides an opportunity to appreciate employee innovation,” he said. He also believes that enthusiasm will be even higher if the number of prizes in the next competition is increased. Titis Wibowo, the second runner-up from Geoscience Business Improvement at Merdeka Mining Servis added that this is not only an event for employees to develop themselves, but also an event for advancing Merdeka together. This year, MIA will be held again, registration opens from October 2022.

Recently, Merdeka also held an essay and photo competition to commemorate Earth Day, which falls on April 22, 2022, with the theme Where I Work is My Beautiful Little Earth. “This competition is held so that employees can be more involved in environmental issues,” said Amin Radjali, manager of the HSE, Risk, and Sustainability department which organized the competition. Sitting as photography judges are Azlan Ismail, Senior Manager Risk, HSE, Sustainability; Gerick Mouton, Chief Project Development at the time; and Simon Milroy, CEO of Merdeka. While the essay judges are Boyke Abidin; Titien Supeno, Director of Human Resources; and Albert Saputro, President Director of Merdeka. The number of winners of the essay competition is the same as in the photography category: three main winners and three hopeful winners.

Indah Permatasari, administrator of the External Affairs division of BSI, who wants to practice her writing skills, is excited to join the competition. Thanks to his writing, on managing the diversity of animals that live in the forest around BSI’s mining operations, he won second place. Representing BSI, Indah is not alone. Three other colleagues from BSI also won the essay competition: Ridwan Syam (1^st Place), Sukadi (^3rd Place), and Argha Nugraha (2^nd Hope Champion)—the latter also participated in a photography competition and won first place.

The participants hope that Merdeka will continue to hold competitions. In addition to coloring the routine after work—especially for those who work daily on a site with a rooster work system—competition can hone creativity and increase collaboration between teams and departments. “The ability of employees who do not appear during work, can also be appreciated by more people,” said Indah.

Artikel Merdeka Employee Competitions pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

The government launched the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum to overcome the lag due to the pandemic. BKP-BTR plays a role in socializing and facilitating training for teachers in Wetar. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is not completely over. However, the signs of normal life are more and more visible. However, the situation in the last two years has left several problems for the world of education in Indonesia. As a result of students studying via the internet at home, there was a delay in achieving the 2013 Curriculum.

So that students do not get left behind, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbud and Research) mitigates by implementing the Independent Learning Curriculum which will start running in the 2022/2023 academic year in the kindergarten, elementary school, high school level. first, to high school. Minister of Education and Culture and Research Nadiem Makarim stated that this new curriculum concept would allow students to explore their respective interests and talents. For example, if two children in one family have different interests, then the benchmark value used is not the same. Children also cannot be forced to learn something they don’t like. This means that the curriculum provides autonomy and independence for students and schools.

In the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum for the high school level, there are no more majors in science, social studies, and language. Students who enter adulthood can choose subjects of interest.

According to Kemendikbud site, the Merdeka Curriculum was developed as a more flexible curriculum framework, while simultaneously focusing on essential materials and developing students’ character and competencies. The main characteristic of the curriculum that supports the recovery of this learning is project-based learning for the development of soft skills and character according to the profile of Pancasila Students. Students focus on essential material so that they have sufficient time to study in depth various basic competencies such as literacy and numeracy. Teachers are more flexible to carry out differentiated learning according to the abilities of students and adapt it to local contexts and content.

In the end, the guarantee for the continuity of the Independent Learning Curriculum lies with the teacher. The role of the teacher remains at the center of the educational process. This point is the full attention of mining and processing companies at the Wetar Copper Mine. Therefore, Batutua Kharisma Permai and Batutua Tembaga Raya (BKP-BTR) held socialization of the Independent Learning Curriculum to several teachers from schools in villages around the mine which incidentally are remote areas.

The socialization was aimed at junior and senior high schools in Lurang Village, North Wetar District, Wetar Island, Southwest Maluku Regency (MBD). The activity was carried out on two occasions: first, on April 25–26 2022, which was attended by eleven teachers from SMA Negeri 16 MBD; and second, on May 2-3, which was attended by nine teachers of One Roof Junior High School.

This activity is a realization of the collaboration between the BKP-BTR Community Empowerment and Development (PPM) program and the Indonesian CSR A+ consultant. Acting as facilitators were Mikael Jeramu and Stefanus Jelalu. In addition to bringing new curriculum materials, they also provided training and capacity building to implement the 2013 Curriculum to six teachers at SD Negeri Uhak on April 28, and five teachers at SD Negeri Lurang on May 2-3, 2022.

The socialization took place with the methods of brainstorming, exposure, and discussion. The teachers who participated were enthusiastic. The Independent Learning Curriculum is something new, participants are required to actively ask questions and have opinions. In this new curriculum, teachers are required to be more creative in generating the interest and activity of students.

BKP-BTR Senior Manager External Affairs Dicky Murod stated that the progress of the younger generation around the operational area has always been the company’s concern and concern. One of the real ways is to improve the quality of school education. In addition to increasing teacher capacity, BKP-BTR also provides scholarships for students and students from the surrounding community, classroom assistance for 16 MBD SMA, and textbooks for schools in Lurang Village and Uhak Village.

Artikel Supporting the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum at Wetar pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

Clean energy will become an increasingly inevitable need. Merdeka answered this challenge, among others, by entering the battery industry.

There have been other activities besides the daily operations at the Wetar Copper Mine these last days. At one point on the Lurang coast, piles began to be planted for the construction of a special jetty that would later be used for shipping pyrite to Morowali, Central Sulawesi. Currently, considering that there are no routine shipments in large quantities, pyrite, which mostly comes from the Partolang area, is still stored specifically, for example, the stockpile is covered with a liner (tarpaulin) to keep it free from acidic liquids.

Pyrite, also known as iron pyrite or pseudo gold, is the most common mineral of the sulfide group of minerals. Its metallic luster and pale yellow color resembles that of gold at a glance—that’s where the name pseudo gold comes from. In the past, pyrite was widely used as an ignition source in firearms. In modern times, this mineral is widely used for the paper industry, sulfuric acid raw material, and cathode in lithium batteries—well, it is related to batteries or green energy that Merdeka Copper Gold has built a special jetty in Wetar.

Currently, MTI is under construction at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP). IMIP itself is a complex consisting of various factories that will be the consumers of most of the mineral content extracted by MTI. For the AIM Project, Merdeka has invested around US$300 million to take care of the licensing and establishment of the MTI factory, as well as the construction of a special port in Wetar. MTI is targeted to start production in 2023 and is expected to generate US$170 million per year for more than 20 years.

According to Albert Saputro, President Director of Merdeka Copper Gold, Merdeka’s business development is in line with what the company has been doing so far. “The principle is the same, we produce materials that contribute significantly to the progress of human civilization. Now, with the increasing demand for green energy, batteries will become an inevitable need, and Merdeka must be at the forefront to fulfill it,” said Albert.

Merdeka’s seriousness in developing the battery business can be seen with its latest steps. On May 17, 2022, Merdeka through one of its subsidiaries, namely Batutua Tambang Abadi (BTA) has purchased 55.67 percent of Hamparan Logistik Nusantara (HLN) shares with a total value of Rp5.4 trillion.

With this purchase, Merdeka has obtained Sulawesi Cahaya Mineral (SCM) holder of a 21,100 hectare Mining Business License (IUP) in Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province which has the largest undeveloped nickel resource in the world; Cahaya Smelter Indonesia (CSI) and Bukit Smelter Indonesia (BSI), two Rotary Kiln & Electric Furnace (RKEF) nickel smelters operating and generating cash flows; Zhao Hui Nickel (ZHN), one of RKEF’s nickel smelters under construction; and Indonesia Konawe Industrial Park (IKIP), a joint venture nickel industrial area within the SCM IUP which is currently still in the planning and feasibility stages.

SCM is a low cost and low risk open pit mining operation. The location is near a downstream processing plant, about 50 km by road from IMIP. Roads are currently under construction so that SCM saprolite ore can be trucked to IMIP for processing at the CSI, BSI, and ZHN RKEF plants to produce nickel pig iron (NPI). The target for the production of saprolite ore is 7 million per year.

SCM will also supply limonite ore to the High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) plant at IMIP, namely the Huayue Nickel Cobalt (HNC) plant. In the future, HPAL is expected to be developed in IKIP which is located within the SCM IUP. HNC will build a pipeline linking the ore preparation plant at SCM to their HPAL at IMIP. Limonite is used in the production of Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) which is used to manufacture batteries. Estimated ore supply is 6–8 metric tons per year of limonite ore from mid-2023.

CSI Smelter and BSI Smelter are jointly owned and operated with Tsingshan at IMIP. Both are fully operational and have a combined nameplate capacity of ~38,000 tonnes of nickel per year. Both the CSI and BSI smelters were built by Tsingshan in 2020. Tsingshan pioneered the development of the RKEF smelter. RKEF’s Tsingshan-linked RKEF smelter in Indonesia currently produces more than 500 thousand tons of Nickel per year. RKEF produces NPI which is used in the production of stainless steel—both for inside IMIP and for export.

Batteries are one of the clean energy alternatives whose needs are increasingly real today and in the future. Clean energy provides a variety of environmental and economic benefits, including the reduction of air pollution. Diversified clean energy supplies also reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Clean energy is also important for sustainable development because the development and use of renewable energy will improve energy security, the environment, the economy, mechanical manufacturing, construction, transportation, and industry, and help create new jobs.

In the context of responding to this challenge, Merdeka’s business development in the battery industry is not only acceptable but also a necessity. At the same time, on the operational side, Merdeka will also be more inclined to use green technology.

Merdeka has started on Pulau Wetar, the operational area of Batutua Kharisma Permai and Batutua Tembaga Raya (BKP-BTR). Since last January, on the hillside above the generator house, there are 600 solar modules divided into three columns. These modules have generated as much as 540 kWh of electricity into the On Grid system for the company’s operational needs. Thus, the site is no longer completely dependent on diesel generators.

Previously, at the end of 2021, BKP-BTR replaced all 18 old diesel generators with new generators that were 10 percent more efficient in fuel consumption. With this measure, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by about 1,600 tons of CO2(e) per year. According to Merdeka’s CEO, Silmon Milroy, reducing carbon emissions is one of the company’s sustainability performance targets in line with Merdeka’s commitment to Clean Zero Emissions by 2050.

One of the important steps towards achieving the 2050 target is the establishment of Merdeka’s strategic partnership with Hong Kong Brunp CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) to invest in the battery metal supply chain in Indonesia. With the agreement signed by the two at the end of 2021, Brunp CATL plans to become a strategic investor in Merdeka with share ownership of up to 5 percent.

Hong Kong Brunp CATL, an affiliate of CATL, is a global leader in new energy technology innovation, committed to providing key solutions and services for new energy applications worldwide. According to SNE Research, in 2020, CATL EV battery consumption volume was ranked No. 1 in the world for four consecutive years. CATL is also widely recognized by its global original equipment manufacturing partners.

It is in this complementary strategic partnership in Indonesia that Merdeka and Brunp CATL are considering the establishment of an investment platform for investment in mineral resources for the battery metal value chain, such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, copper, manganese, and aluminum. The platform will also develop battery metal industrial estates and support green energy sources. The two will also proactively seek to engage in joint projects within the wider battery metal chain in Indonesia, to develop the electric vehicle and battery industry in Indonesia.

“We are very pleased to welcome CATL as a strategic investor in Merdeka. The metal battery supply chain has huge growth potential in Indonesia and is strongly supported by government policies. We are confident that we are partnering with the right group and that our partnership will significantly strengthen Merdeka’s focus and capabilities in this sector,” said Milroy.

What Merdeka has done is still in its early stages. However, as a company that has the vision to be at the forefront, this step is a must. The future is in sight.

Artikel Responding to Future Challenges with Clean Energy pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

The Mining Apprentice Program has successfully graduated female heavy equipment operators in Wetar. Some can neither ride a motorcycle nor a car but now operate a 60-tons truck.

Working in the mines is hard, so only men can endure it. This kind of assumption is still shared by many people in general. “That opinion is wrong, the proof is that Kartini is here,” said Kartini Sandra Tilukay, an employee of Batutua Kharisma Permai and Batutua Tembaga Raya (BKP-BTR). And, the daily task of this lady from Kisar Island is not behind the desk, but operating heavy vehicles. “It feels really cool, even though the body is smaller than heavy equipment tires, I can still operate it,” said Kartini, full of enthusiasm.

Kartini is one of fifteen women operators of heavy vehicles at the BKP-BTR copper mining site on Wetar Island, Southwest Maluku. They are graduates of the Mining Apprentice Program—training to operate equipment specifically for female participants.

Dicky Murod, Senior Manager of External Affairs of BKP-BTR, revealed that the training that Kartini and other participants participated in was a form of BKP-BTR’s support for gender equality. By providing skills to operate heavy equipment to women, job opportunities in the mining world are opened for professions that were previously filled with male workers. In addition, training was also held to fill the needs of heavy equipment operators at BKP-BTR. After they graduate, the responsibilities of female operators are no different than those of male operators.

The training has started rolling since July 2021 and takes place in several batches or waves. Initially, the participants came from Lurang and Uhak, the two closest villages to the BKP-BTR location. Furthermore, participants came from other villages on Wetar Island and other islands in Southwest Maluku Regency such as Kisar Island.

Each batch lasts for 50 to 60 days, guided by a team of professional coaches. The training is carried out at an actual mining site. Kartini and her friends were trained to operate the 733 haul truck which has a payload capacity of 60 tons and the 745 articulate dump truck with a carrying capacity of 45 tons.

Kartini admitted that she was amazed by her current abilities. Until now, he could not ride a motorcycle but instead could carry a big truck in the mines. “I used to only see mining units on television,” said Kartini, a Bachelor of Computer Science from STIKOM Ambon.

Kaindah feels the future path of her life is open. According to him, the skill and experience of operating a heavy vehicle are extraordinary assets. “When I finish from here, I can work in mining in other places, I will be rich in experience by looking at other areas in Indonesia,” he said.

Kaindah said that the doctor, Gian Alodia Risamasu, who was his supervisor at the Lurang Health Center, was a person who had contributed to him. “Doctor Gian encouraged me to join the training here, he said so that I could have insight and experience that was much broader than the size of my village,” said Kaindah.

Novita Leladara also had a similar experience. This mother of one child is from Ilputih Village in Wetar. “Working in the mine is fun, I enjoy it,” said Novita, whose husband also works at BKP-BTR.

How about salary? “Good,” the three of them said in unison with a smile. Kaindah admits that her income as an operator doubles from the administrative staff at the Puskesmas.

Head coach Phillips Benny stated that there are many advantages when heavy vehicles are operated by women. “Women are consistent and stable, different from men who have a sense of humor,” he said. For example, if a female operator gets a task of ten trips, the female operator can fulfill it at the right time with the same time interval between trips, while the male operator does not keep the speed so that sometimes it is slow and does not reach the target.

In addition, added Benny, the level of damage to heavy vehicles has decreased. “Because the way women treat and control it is different,” said Benny. The female operator did not encounter any difficulties operating the truck because the method was similar to running an automatic car. “The important thing applied to the operator is discipline and compliance before, during, and after operating,” said Benny.

As told by Kartini: before starting work, she is obliged to make sure all parts of the vehicle are in good condition, while operating always obey the supervisor who gives directions and is full of caution, and after being assigned to make sure the vehicle is in good condition.

After Kartini, Kaindah, and Novita, there will be more female operators at BKP-BTR because training activities are still ongoing. They will be on duty day and night according to a predetermined schedule.

Artikel Can’t Ride a Motorcycle? That’s Not a Requirement to be an Operator pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

Planting vegetables is a new habit for the Wetar people. The tenacity of the mothers made this program a success.

Helena Mawatis was not in the garden. This isn’t what it used to be. Because many people know, she has always been gardening since early in the morning. “Make dolo rice,” she said when she greeted Suasa who came to his house. “Come on,” she said shortly after.

Mama Ena, as she is usually called, took her on foot to her garden which took about ten minutes. This 76-year-old woman from Lurang Village is carrying a bucket filled with provisions and other objects wrapped in cloth. “Last night until morning it rained, so all can be watered,” she said. By saying that, she meant to say that she didn’t go into the garden earlier to water his plants because nature had already done that for her.

Growing vegetables in Lurang Village, Wetar Island, requires frequent watering. As one of the hottest spots in Indonesia, this island, which is located in the middle of the Banda Sea, is indeed very hot with bright sunlight until after six in the evening. Even though it rained last night, Mama Ena watered her garden again after the sun was a little high. Mama Ena, who is still quick to draw, said that the most common gardening activity is watering. Watering in the morning, before the afternoon break, watering, in the afternoon watering again. Then, before dark, Ateng, the gardener’s helper and pig watered to close the day. Mama Ena has a water source from a well in the corner of her garden. The location is only about fifty meters from the shoreline of the Banda Sea and the mouth of the Lurang River. With a depth of only two meters, the well already provides fresh water that never dries up.

In between watering, Mama Ena takes care of the vegetable plants which are divided into several small plots. She uses fertilizer from chicken manure obtained from chicken farmers in Lurang. For seeds, Mama Ena got from Kupang. “Children and son-in-law who buy it,” she said.

Mama Ena has a nature that likes to tell stories and does not want to be silent. “This work makes you healthy,” she said. She admitted that she was very grateful because she was still healthy and able to work and was able to have an income. She compared it to an elderly citizen who was his age or younger but was already sickly.

Currently, Mama Ena is growing mustard greens, carrots, tomatoes, long beans, and eggplant. In addition, she keeps four pigs in the pen, two of which are pregnant. All of them are the source of livelihood for Mama Ena, who currently lives at home with Lodia, her sister. If sold, the pig can give four million rupiahs to Mama Ena. His income from vegetables is uncertain, depending on the harvest. The main buyers of his garden products are Batutua Kharisma Permai and Batutua Tembaga Raya (BKP-BTR), the rest are bought by fellow Lurang residents.

Mama Ena is one of the vegetable growers who participated in the empowerment program organized by BKP-BTR. The results of the program participants’ gardens from communities around the mine in Lurang Village, Uhak Village, and Kampung Baru are absorbed by the company. These various types of vegetables are an important component of the daily menus of hundreds of employees. Apart from vegetables, BKP-BTR also buys fish, chicken meat, chicken eggs, tofu and tempeh, and crackers from these villages.

Community Development—External Affairs BKP-BTR fosters Mama Ena and other suppliers in their respective fields. They then submitted the results to the BKP-BTR partner catering company, namely Prasmanindo Boga Utama (PBU), according to a predetermined schedule. Payment for the purchase will be paid by PBU through the Ina Rifa Foundation in Lurang and the Ama Kefe Foundation in Uhak and Kampung Baru. Mama Ena and others will receive payments from the foundation.

Mama Ena always delivers her garden produce on weighing day at Lurang Market, although not as much as other vegetable growers. She admits that because of his age, the vegetables she produces are not as much as before. However, she still tries to fulfill the type requested by PBU, according to the menu plan that will be served. In between, if there is something that can be harvested, Mama Ena sells vegetables to the people in Lurang. She admitted that his income was used for food and daily needs, the rest was saved.

Mama Ena realized that her age would continue to grow and one day she would no longer be able to work in the garden. What’s the plan after not gardening? “Mom wants to have a shop at home so I can work at home and still have income,” she said.

The types of plants in her garden are similar to Mama Ena’s garden because that is what PBU asked for. Mama Dina also got seeds from Kupang which were purchased using regular boats. Likewise, fertilizer in the form of chicken manure is obtained from chicken farmers in Lurang. Mama Dina, the owner’s full name Dina Matena, who comes from Lurang Island, southwest of Wetar Island, has already benefited from her income as a vegetable supplier to BKP-BTR. “To eat and pay for the two children who are still in school,” said the mother of five.

Mama Yos or Yospina Mapekar also has a garden next to the house. To maintain the freshness of the plants, she has prepared water containers that are always filled. She indeed is the one who takes care of most of the time, especially watering and fertilizing the garden, but she feels lucky that his children and grandchildren can help.

This 70-year-old woman still looks fit. She admits that she can stay healthy because she has the principle to always be active in the garden and at home and take care of eating. She admitted that some of the vegetables were for additional food for his family or sold to the residents of Lurang.

What has been the income from the garden? “Make kitchen furniture,” said Mama Yos, who likes the kitchen.

Planting vegetables is a new thing for the people of Lurang and Uhak because they are cultivators. Vegetable planting only started in 2009 when BKP-BTR began to organize community empowerment programs around the operational area. It all started with the Community Development team who set up a demonstration garden and trained several Lurang and Uhak residents.

Mesakh Nanggula, one of the trainers at the time, revealed that the main challenge at that time was to make land that tends to be sandy to be arable and produce vegetables. “First we make beds to hold water and apply fertilizer,” she said. The fertilizers used are manure and compost, not chemical fertilizers.

The training provided included how to adjust the spacing and maintain the planting period which was only a matter of days. Also how to deal with pests and the right times to plant.

“We’ll show first what happened in the pilot garden, then do the same thing in the residents’ gardens,” said Mesakh.

The learning process takes place from one group to another, and direct assistance at the location is carried out intensely. In the early days, there were 56 people from Uhak and more than 100 people from Lurang involved. Now, according to Mesakh, who is still coaching vegetable growers, their number is increasing as the number of immigrants continues to grow.

Initially, all of them received support from BKP-BTR, for example for the procurement of seeds. However, since 2012, all suppliers have become independent. They buy seeds and garden necessities themselves. Mesak’s task with the Community Development team is only to monitor and ensure that the process of procuring vegetables for BKP-BTR continues well.

Artikel Vegetables from Wetar Copper Mine Local Supplier pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.