Singapore, September 10th (Argus) - French mining group Eramet announced on September 10th that the mining activities at Indonesia's Weda Bay Nickel (WBN) are gradually restarting after a four-month maintenance period.
WBN suspended its mining operations in May after exhausting its initial 2026 nickel production quota (RKAB), which only covered 12 million wet metric tons and was lower than the 42 million wet metric tons approved in 2025. The reduction in the quota and the subsequent suspension led to a 27% decline in WBN's nickel production to 11.9 million wet metric tons in the first half of 2026.
The company has applied to increase the quota to be closer to the amount approved last year (approximately 42 million wet metric tons), reflecting its role as a key supplier of nickel from the North Maluku Indonesian Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP).
The resumption of mining indicates that WBN may have obtained additional approval for the RKAB, although Eramet did not disclose any details of the revised quota. Market participants believe that the company could have obtained an additional 25 million wet metric tons, but this cannot be confirmed.
Eramet stated that due to the ongoing restart process, it is still unable to provide reliable estimates for the 2026 nickel production, sales, or ore grade. The company expects to update its external nickel ore sales guidance in the near future.
Earlier in February this year, Indonesia set the 2026 nickel RKAB quota at 260 to 270 million wet metric tons and planned to review it in the third quarter. The revised deadline passed on July 31st, and the authorities have not announced the results. The government previously opposed the expectation of increasing the mining quota.
The timing and scale of any quota revision remain unclear, and market participants continue to wait for the confirmation of the approved quantity, although some mining companies have reportedly received the latest approval.
