PT Vale Indonesia commits Sorowako to IRMA audit
PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (PTVI) has committed its Sorowako nickel operation in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi Province to third-party independent assessment against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. PT Vale Indonesia is jointly controlled by Vale Canada Limited and MIND ID, Indonesia’s mining industry holding company.
“By volunteering Sorowako for an independent audit against the world’s most rigorous global mining standard, PT Vale Indonesia is providing unprecedented transparency into the operations of a Sulawesi mine,” said IRMA Executive Director Aimee Boulanger. “They are effectively putting themselves under a microscope and welcoming affected stakeholders to examine their mine and help them make their mine more responsible.”
“To further strengthen our commitment to responsible mining, we are committing our Sorowako Mine Site to IRMA independent audit. This is a significant milestone in our responsible mining journey which will later include the rest of our mining and processing operations. Through this, we aim to increase transparency and accountability, aligning with best practices that resonate with our stakeholders,” said PT Value Chief of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Bernardus Irmanto. “To help achieve this, the IRMA audit report will provide those affected by our mine the information they need to engage in meaningful dialogue about where Sorowako is achieving best practice, and where there is more work to be done.”
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is (1) a voluntary mining standard describing best practices to protect people and the environment, (2) an assurance process to measure mines against that standard, and (3) an organization equally governed by representatives of six affected stakeholder sectors – communities, organized labor, NGOs, finance, purchasers and mining companies — that oversees the standard and the assurance process. IRMA is globally unique in that its governance provides communities equal power to mining companies, and the non-commercial interests the same power as commercial interests.
PTVI produced 10% of total nickel production in Indonesia (2023), primarily operating out of Sorowako, South Sulawesi. In Q3 2024, PTVI produced 18,008 metric tons of nickel in matte—class 1 nickel—a critical material in stainless steel and battery production. Founded in 1968 as PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk (INCO) the company became PT Vale Indonesia in 2011.
ERM CVS, an IRMA-approved independent audit firm, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1, which starts on December 17 for Sorowako) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). Using the contact information below, members of the affected community, public officials, representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments starting now regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gasses, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community, positively or negatively. Interested parties may also ask to be interviewed by auditors once they are on the mine site.
For More Information
- To follow the progress of the IRMA assessment, visit the IRMA website for Sorowako’s independent assessment status page
- If you would like more information on how the audit of the Sorowako operation will be conducted against the IRMA standard — contact IRMA’s Director of Assurance: Michelle Smith, msmith@responsiblemining.net
- Interested parties may reach out to ERM CVS in advance of the audit to ask to be interviewed by auditors either by phone or video conferencing or in person, once the auditors are on the mine site. 30 days prior to the onsite audit, ERM CVS will make its own announcement and invitation directly to local communities and workers. The audit firm can be reached by email at: post@ermcvs.com
