On Sunday, an explosion at a nickel smelter furnace owned by Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) on Sulawesi island resulted in the tragic deaths of thirteen workers, with 38 others sustaining injuries.
The incident occurred during repairs to the furnace at 5:30 a.m. local time. Among the casualties were eight Indonesian workers and five Chinese workers. The fire resulting from the explosion was extinguished by 09:10 a.m. local time.
According to preliminary investigations, the explosion may have been caused by residual explosion-inducing liquid at the bottom of the furnace during the repair process. The initial blast triggered subsequent explosions due to numerous oxygen cylinders used for welding and cutting furnace components.
Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), the owner of the industrial park housing the smelter, released a statement confirming that ITSS is one of the tenants at the park. IMIP, a nickel-focused industrial park owned by China’s Tsingshan and its local partner Bintang Delapan Group, is engaged in the production of stainless steel and carbon steel.
Nickel holds strategic importance for Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer. The country attracted significant global investment after imposing a ban on the export of unprocessed ore in 2020.
Indonesia aims to develop downstream nickel industries and attract substantial investment from electric vehicle and battery manufacturers.
Despite the industry’s growth, safety concerns persist, and fatal accidents have occurred in Indonesia’s nickel processing sector. President Joko Widodo has expressed the need for improvements in safety standards and environmental monitoring while emphasizing the importance of developing the nickel sector.
