#DirtyNickel: Inside The World's Largest Nickel Mine in Indonesia

2025-05-16

JAKARTA – This investigation reveals serious irregularities and testimonies of environmental and social fraud at the Weda Bay Nickel, the world's largest open pit nickel mine, co-owned by the French mining giant Eramet, the Chinese steel multinational Tsinghan and the Indonesian state through the state-owned company PT Antam.

Unreported deaths and serious accidents on site, including road accidents and cardiac arrests. Irregular storage of toxic waste. Inadequate isolation of toxic tailings. Falsified environmental data. Impacted communities. While some are making fortunes from nickel mining, others are on the frontline, suffering the direct environmental and social consequences of large-scale industrial operations on the island of Halmahera in the Maluku archipelago.

Through various whistleblower testimonies and exclusive reports, this investigation reveals the "systemic environmental and social dissimulation" of grave accidents on WBN, while also uncovering hidden beneficiary links between former officials and the Indonesian mining sector. It also reveals the full extent of an ongoing 'ecocide' fuelled by a boom in nickel demand to meet increased demand from the global EV manufacturing supply chain. The investigation also identifies which companies are using 'dirty nickel' in their EV car batteries in Germany and France.

Photo: Lelilef Waibulan Village, Weda 22th July 2024 (c) Aqwam Hanifan, Narasi

Team members

Alexandre Brutelle

Alexandre Brutelle is a foreign reporter and freelance investigative journalist.

Linda Osusky

Linda Osusky is an Austrian freelance investigative journalist and filmmaker.

Aqwam Fiazmi Hanifan

Aqwam Fiazmi Hanifan is an investigative journalist in Jakarta.

Laban Laisila

Laban Laisila is a seasoned Indonesian editor and journalist.

Supported

€28,961 allocated on 28/05/2024

ENV1/2024/502

Grant

Environmental Journalism

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