The journey to the capital was a challenge of its own. It took well over a dozen hours—if not more—to reach Jakarta from Wetar Island in eastern Indonesia, with two transits in Atambua and Kupang. In Jakarta, even greater challenges awaited.

The event was not only their first competition but also their debut operating an excavator in front of a live audience—beyond their own trainer. Once they had mastered the basics, they had to immediately compete against seasoned operators from other mining companies.

That was a leap, considering the machine they usually drive is not an excavator but an ADT, or articulated dump truck. Since joining Wetar Copper Mine in 2022, they have been operating the six-wheeled truck, equipped with a central hinge that makes it nimble across rough terrain. Mastering the ADT was itself part of their “firsts.” Before joining Mining Apprentice, a program created to recruit and train local women operators, neither of them had driven a four-wheeled vehicle. Unlike Kristanty, Yanti had not even ridden a motorcycle before. Their first vehicle turned out to be heavy machinery—something even licensed drivers might never manage.

They believe the key to work is the willingness to learn, since skills can be sharpened through intensive training. When chosen to compete in Jakarta, it felt like another chance to push themselves further.

Beyond working hours, Kristanty and Yanti were trained by Muslik, a Mining Trainer at PT Batutua Tembaga Raya (BTR), one of the two companies managing the Wetar Copper Mine. The process was not too different from regular training. “First comes the classroom, learning safety and equipment,” Muslik explained. “Then we go to the field, where they learn to operate the unit.”

“The time was very short, just fifteen days,” Yanti recalled. “But the trainer always supported us with full confidence. What mattered was being able to perform our best in the competition.”

For Agus Satari, Training Supervisor at BTR, the participation of Wetar Copper Mine in this national competition was equally significant. “Beyond carrying the name of BTR,” Agus said, “we want to show others that we have skilled operators.”

“Thank God I was able to complete the training well,” Kristanty said, hoping she and Yanti could show their very best.

First photo: From left, Agus Satari, Muslik, Yanti Maryana Pio, and Kristanty Lendert. Second photo: The equipment introduction session.

If described simply, the 2025 Operator Championship challenge was straightforward: drop basketballs into three types of goals—a basketball hoop, an open oil drum, and a low wooden box the size of a desk drawer. In practice, however, it demanded extreme precision, even for seasoned operators.

Each participant was given ten basketballs, placed on traffic cones on one side of the excavator. Using the excavator’s bucket, they had to scoop the balls off the cones, lift them, then swing the arm across to drop them into the goals on the opposite side. The sequence of goals was up to the operator. Whoever managed to score in all three goals first—or scored the most within ten minutes—was declared the winner. Before the session ended, the excavator bucket had to be returned to its original position: resting on a pad of stacked burlap sacks.

“The hardest target is the box,” Kristanty admitted.

Yanti agreed: “The box is small. Once the ball hits inside, it bounces out.” In other words, a miss.

Operators competed in pairs, starting only when signaled by the referee. Touching the goal or the asphalt with the excavator bucket counted as a foul, leading to a yellow card. Red cards were issued for severe violations like damaging equipment, changing the machine’s settings, or driving out of bounds. The official match ended once all three goals had been scored, with the excavator bucket returned to its original position on the burlap sack pad.

The competition used a round-robin format, meaning each participant faced all others once, ensuring that the final results reflected consistency. Between elimination rounds, there were entertainment sessions, demonstrations, and open challenges.

Because participants from other companies withdrew, Kristanty and Yanti ended up being the only women among eight male operators. They faced each other as well as the men, with wins and losses alternating. In one open session, Kristanty even defeated an operator from another company.

Beyond the main competition, there was also an Exhibition match. All ten participants were split into two teams of five, led by Kristanty and Yanti. It was a relay format: each operator had to score two balls before switching out. Yanti’s team eventually edged out Kristanty’s.

Although they did not take home the main trophy, Kristanty and Yanti were honored with the Female Operator Pioneer Award. For them, it was a meaningful achievement—winning a top prize on their very first try would have been too many “firsts” at once. Both were grateful to represent Wetar in this prestigious event.

“Thank God I could give my best in this competition,” Kristanty reflected.

For Agus Satari, who along with Muslik accompanied them throughout the championship in Jakarta, that was what mattered most. “Winning is just a bonus for us,” he said.

Agus also shared Wetar Copper Mine’s plan to empower operators further: enabling experienced women operators to train the next generation of local recruits. “And in the future,” he added, “they can compete in even bigger championships.”

For Wetar Copper Mine, the participation of two local women operators in a national event was itself a proud milestone. Agus added that the community empowerment program would continue expanding into other areas, unlocking more potential from people in the mining community.

Kristanty and Yanti share the same determination: to return to the competition, carrying the lessons and experience from this year. They are deeply grateful for the trust given to represent Wetar in this event, especially to Jimmy Bob Soeroto, Head of Mining Engineering at the Wetar Copper Mine, who strongly supported them, and Boyke P. Abidin, President Director of the companies managing the Wetar Copper Mine, who warmly welcomed them in Jakarta.

Their message to other aspiring women operators?

“If others can do it, why can’t we?” Yanti said. “Let’s prove that women can operate machines of any size.”

Kristanty Lendert and Yanti Maryana Pio among fellow operators, from competing to receiving their award.

Artikel From First Experiences to First Award: Two Women Operators from Wetar Copper Mine at the 2025 Operator Championship pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

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.

PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI), managing the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine and the Tujuh Bukit Copper Project in Banyuwangi, East Java, marked the environmental day by planting tree saplings on June 4, 2024, a day ahead of the global celebration.

“Let us actively play our roles in ensuring the environment around the Tujuh Bukit mining operations is well-maintained,” stated Roelly Fransza, General Manager of Operations at BSI. “This includes proper waste disposal, reducing single-use plastics through the 3R approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), preventing hazardous material spills, and conserving water and electricity to uphold our shared commitment to energy conservation.”

Since 2016, BSI has reclaimed 75.57 hectares of land in the mining area. In 2023, BSI completed compensatory reforestation totalling 1,990.79 hectares, progressively turning over land since 2020, marking the largest compensation area by a private institution to the government at that time. The June 4 event at BSI also featured upcoming activities: mangrove planting at Candi Purwo, Tegaldlimo on July 5, 2024, and coral transplantation at Grand Watu Dodol, Bangsring on September 7, 2024.

Tree planting continued the next day, June 5, 2024, at the Wetar Copper Mine. On Wetar Island, Southwest Maluku, 85 employees and contractors, including Jimmy B. Suroto, Deputy General Manager, and Hidayat Purwoko, Head of Mining Engineering, planted native trees such as ketapang, cashew, sengon buto, and parna around the new Mining Department Partolang office building. The celebration at Wetar Copper Mine included a beach cleanup around the mining area on June 21, 2024, involving 102 employees, contractors, and Brimob, resulting in 35 kg of collected waste.

In Gorontalo, Sulawesi, the Pani Gold Project celebrated by hosting a seminar on innovative waste management in collaboration with Waste4Change, a social enterprise providing responsible waste management solutions. The seminar, featuring Khairunnisa Yusmalina Humaam, Senior Campaign Executive at Waste4Change, was attended by 104 employees and contractors of the Pani Gold Project.

In Central Sulawesi, PT Merdeka Tsingshan Indonesia (MTI), manager of the AIM (Acid, Iron, Metal) Project operating in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, celebrated World Environment Day by planting 1,200 mangroves in Keurea Village, Bahadopi, Morowali. The planting of the Rhizophora mucronata mangroves was attended by government officials, security forces and representatives from Merdeka Group subsidiaries. The Head of the Morowali Regency Environmental Service, Elyta Gawi, highlighted MTI’s significant role in supporting Morowali Regency. The first Adipura award won by Morowali Regency in 2024 was largely due to MTI’s donation of the most trash cans in 2023. It is hoped that this mangrove planting will inspire other institutions to support environmental conservation efforts.

Meanwhile, at the PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk headquarters in Jakarta, the celebration was carried out through the Corporate Volunteer Program, Bakti Merdeka. This time, Bakti Merdeka partnered with SMP Muhammadiyah 8 Jakarta in a workshop to create biopores as a soil conservation solution. The workshop involved 92 eighth-grade students and 15 selected Merdeka employees, emphasizing environmental awareness among the younger generation—a pursuit aligned with Merdeka’s core value of sustainability.

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Main photo: planting of saplings at the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine.

Artikel The World Environment Day Celebrations by Merdeka Group pertama kali tampil pada PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk.

The mulch from pulp, which is an organic mulch, is then mixed with cover crops seeds, liquid fertilizer, and compost—a technique commonly called hydroseeding. Mixed mulch is applied by spraying on a large, flat area, or only slightly sloped. Meanwhile, in steep areas, mulch is affixed piece by piece to the land wall, which has been covered with cocomesh—a net of coconut fiber.

Mulch is suitable for steep land, including land with minimal topsoil. In addition, the use of organic mulch is very efficient. Unlike inorganic mulch from synthetic materials, organic mulch will decompose over time and blend with the soil, so it doesn’t need to be removed after the plants have grown.

Recycling used cardboard is one of the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) waste management programs of the Environment Section, Mining Department at the Wetar Copper Mine on Wetar Island, Southwest Maluku. Every day, up to 35 kg of cardboard can be collected and seven to nine sacks of used cardboard are used as mulch. Until the end of 2022, 1.5 tons of used cardboard have been recycled, or 32 percent of the total used cardboard. The great benefit is that the use of used cardboard as mulch will be continued in the 2023 program with even more storage sheds.

Artikel Used Cardboard for Wetar Copper Mine Land Reclamation 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.