Indonesian Rainforests Turned Into Open-Cast Mining Pits to Improve Range of High-End Electric Vehicles
by Chris Morrison 20 October 2025 9:00 AM
Eco Smugs sitting in their top-of-the-range electric vehicles are probably unaware, or perhaps don’t want to know, about the unfolding ecological tragedy in the virgin tropical rainforests of Indonesia. Higher EV ranges have been achieved by adding nickel to lithium-ion batteries, an addition that has also boosted the performance of some public transport buses in cities like London. As with many green ‘advances’, the ecological cost is horrendous. Over half the world’s supply of nickel is located in Indonesia and much of that is to be found just a few feet below unspoilt rainforests. Cue massive deforestation and extensive rollout of smelters and even EV battery factories.
Most of Indonesia’s nickel reserves are on the islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera. Nickel deposits are typically found in rock between 20 and 50 feet below the surface and are easily extracted by open-cast mining. Many of the mining concessions are in forest lands, often secondary growths but with significant burials under the older, undisturbed mature rainforests. Undisturbed until now. In 2020, Indonesia banned the export of nickel ore, which led to the introduction of local metal processing facilities. Significant destruction has occurred in the rainforests, converting habitats into open-pit mines and industrial parks. If carbon dioxide is your thing, it might be an idea to consider all the stored CO2 released to make so-called eco, planet-saving car batteries. Not to mention the loss and possible extinction of endemic species and the local wastewater contamination running into the sea and harming nearby coral reefs.
Satellite data along with local reports suggest that primary forest loss is heading for 100,000 hectares. Another half a million hectares are feared at immediate risk due to booming demand and the 2020 nickel ore export ban. Local forest canopies are often dominated by dipterocarp trees and they are prized for their resin and hardwood. Selective logging targeting the most valuable specimens is followed by full clearance for the pits and the smelters. Ultramafic soils, formed in places where tectonic forces bring up rocks from the Earth’s mantle, host unique flora which have adapted to the local habitat.
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/10/20/indonesian-rainforests-turned-into-open-cast-mining-pits-to-improve-range-of-high-end-electric-vehicles/
