Are You Anti-Nickel?: Gibran Asks Muhaimin during Debate

Jakarta. Vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming asked rival Muhaimin Iskandar if he was “anti-nickel” during the debate on Sunday evening after the latter’s team reportedly claimed that the metal was losing popularity to lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) batteries in the global electric vehicle (EV) market.
The domestic processing of minerals, including nickel, has been at the center of President Joko “Jokowi'' Widodo's economic development strategy. The Prabowo-Gibran pair is planning on carrying on this policy. They want Indonesia to continue to export nickel in more sophisticated forms rather than shipping them raw. This is expected to increase the chance of Indonesia entering the global EV battery supply chain. Nickel is a mainstay in lithium-ion batteries.
However, the strategy drew criticism from the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin campaign team, particularly from its senior member and former minister Thomas Lembong. Thomas said recently that the EV giant Tesla was already switching to the iron phosphate-based LFP batteries. LFP does not contain nickel, making it a cheaper battery alternative.
“Candidate number 1 [Anies-Muhaimin] and their campaign team often talked about LFP [batteries]. Is your team anti-nickel or what? Please explain,” Gibran asked Muhaimin -- also known as Cak Imin-- in the televised vice presidential debate.
In response, Muhaimin talked about environmental ethics.
“Whatever we do, including mining activities, should adhere to environmental ethics. We should commit to creating a balance between human [activities] and the environment,” Muhaimin said.
Gibran was not happy with the answer as his rival did not talk much about the LFP batteries.
“How strange. It is your campaign team that keeps on talking about LFP, and here we see the vice presidential candidate not understanding what LFP really is. … Your team says Tesla is not using nickel. Those are lies. Tesla still uses nickel,” Gibran said.
“Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves. That is our strength and bargaining power. But you talked about LFP [batteries] instead. That is the same as promoting Chinese products. ... I wonder if you are anti-nickel just like Tom Lembong,” Gibran told Muhaimin by mentioning the former minister by his nickname.
Research firm Adamas Intelligence revealed last October that Tesla was the leading carmaker by nickel deployed onto roads year-to-date, with over 31,800 tons of nickel used in its EV batteries in January-July 2023. A 2022 Reuters story wrote that Tesla had already used LFP batteries made by Chinese battery giant CATL for its Model 3s.
Indonesia and Australia hold the title of having the world’s largest nickel reserves, reaching 21 million metric tons each. Indonesia’s nickel mines production reached an estimated 1.6 million metric tons in 2022, according to a US Geological Survey report.
Tags: Keywords:Related Articles
Shares in China's CATL, World's Biggest EV Battery Maker, Surge in Hong Kong after $4.6B IPO
CATL held a nearly 38 percent global market share for EV batteries in 2024, its listing documents showed.Indonesia Sends Minister Muhaimin to Vatican for Pope Leo XIV's Inauguration
Cak Imin departs for Vatican to attend Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration on Sunday as President Prabowo’s official representative.VinFast to Invest $300M for 63,000 EV Charging Stations in Indonesia
VinFast and V-Green will invest $300M to build 63,000 EV charging stations across Indonesia by 2025.BYD’s 2024 Revenue Hits $107B, Surpasses Tesla’s Sales
BYD’s 2024 revenue hit $107B, surpassing Tesla’s $97.7B. Strong EV sales and a new fast-charging system fuel its global expansion.Tesla Recalls Nearly All Cybertrucks Over Detaching Panel Hazard
Tesla recalls over 46,000 Cybertrucks due to a defect that may cause windshield panels to detach while driving, posing a crash risk.Ship Carrying 2,500 VinFast Electric Cars Arrives in Jakarta
This latest shipment marks VinFast’s fourth and largest delivery to Indonesia since it began expanding its reach to its neighbor last year.Prabowo Sets Goal to Reduce Poverty Rate to 4.5 Percent by 2029
Prabowo targets zero extreme poverty by 2026 and aims to cut Indonesia’s poverty rate from 8.7 percent to 4.5 percent by 2029.Prabowo Sets Goal to Reduce Poverty Rate to 4.5 Percent by 2029
Prabowo targets zero extreme poverty by 2026 and aims to cut Indonesia’s poverty rate from 8.7 percent to 4.5 percent by 2029.Vietnam’s VinFast to Build Up to 100,000 EV Chargers in Indonesia
VinFast intends to establish between 30,000 and 100,000 charging stations across Indonesia in its initial phase.Former Trade Minister Tom Lembong Indicted in $35 Million Sugar Import Case
Former Trade Minister Tom Lembong is indicted for allegedly causing Rp 578 billion in state losses through an illegal sugar import scheme.The Latest
Sri Mulyani: Government Can Only Fund 40% of $625B Infrastructure Needs
“This gap will require private sector participation, strong partnerships, and innovative financing strategies,” she said.Achmad Ardianto Appointed as New President Director of Antam
Achmad brings with him an extensive background in state-owned enterprises and human capital leadership.Prabowo to Fly to Singapore for Leaders’ Retreat with Wong Next Week
Investments are set to become a major talking point when Prabowo meets Singapore's Lawrence Wong on Monday.KPK Links Rp 1.2 Trillion Papua Graft to Private Jet, Airline Boss Fails to Show Up
KPK links Rp 1.2t Papua graft to private jet purchase, but RDG Airlines boss Gibbrael Isaak skips summons. Agency urges him to cooperate.Over 90% of Malaria Cases Found in Papua, Health Ministry Says
Indonesia’s malaria fight faces hurdles from high case loads in Papua, mobile populations, and rising zoonotic transmission, officials warn.Most Popular
