Deputy Director-General Zou Ciyong from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) praises the rapid development and tremendous potential of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP)—a landmark project between China and Indonesia under the Belt and Road Initiative framework. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A senior official from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has lauded the rapid development and tremendous potential of a landmark project between China and Indonesia under the Belt and Road Initiative framework.
Speaking at the launch of the "United Nations sustainable industrial park" cooperation project between UNIDO and the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) on Jan 17, UNIDO Deputy Director-General Zou Ciyong expressed admiration for the rapid development of the park and showed confidence that the partnership will provide a vibrant model for global sustainable industrial parks.
The program, between UNIDO and IMIP, marks a substantial step forward in the joint implementation of the cooperation to promote sustainable value addition in the nickel value chain in Indonesia.
Representatives from UNIDO, the Indonesian Ministry of Industry, the Nickel Institute, the Asosiasi Pertambangan Nikel Indonesia, as well as downstream customers, financial institutions, and other stakeholders in the nickel industry witnessed the historic moment.
IMIP and UNIDO partner to launch the "United Nations sustainable industrial park" cooperation project. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Standing as a landmark project of cooperation between China and Indonesia since its inception in 2013 and located in Morowali County, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, IMIP has harnessed the region's abundant nickel reserves to develop it into a large integrated industrial cluster, attracting investments from enterprises in China, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Generating some 100,000 direct jobs, IMIP boasts the world's longest stainless steel industrial chain, spanning from mining to stainless steel cold rolling. Driven by green intelligence and industrial integration, it aims to promote Indonesia's transformation from resource exports to high value-added manufacturing, enhancing its position in the global new energy industry chain, and becoming a model of China-Indonesia cooperation and regional sustainable development.
UNIDO's Deputy Director-General Zou Ciyong leads a team to visit production factories, docks, museums, and safety experience centers at IMIP. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
According to the new partnership, over the next three years, the two parties will engage in deep cooperation across four key areas—the construction of eco-industrial parks, the establishment of green mineral supply chains, community development, and industrial skills enhancement. IMIP will, under UNIDO's guidance and in accordance with UN standards and best practices, collaborate with surrounding mines, communities, enterprises within the park, and partners in various stages of the industry chain.
Together, they will create a replicable and scalable international sustainable industrial park pilot model, injecting industrial momentum into the realization of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and "Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision". IMIP has issued an initiative for enterprises within the park to jointly contribute to achieving these goals.
During the launch ceremony, UNIDO Deputy Director-General Zou led a team to visit production factories, docks, museums, and safety experience centers, conducting a detailed inspection of carbon reduction, emission reduction, and safety and environmental protection measures in the nickel mining and refining process. The team directly observed the park's achievements in green production, technological innovation, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) governance.
Zou emphasized that the field visit allowed UNIDO to witness IMIP's tremendous potential in building a sustainable industrial park.
Rahmayanti, a representative from the Indonesian Ministry of Industry, stressed that since 2020, the Indonesian government and UNIDO have implemented the Global Eco-Industrial Park Program with good results. UNIDO's expertise in improving energy efficiency, identifying emission reduction pathways, and building industrial symbiosis systems has been crucial for accelerating Indonesia's green industrial transformation and the downstream development of mineral resources.
Indonesian Ministry of Industry representative Rahmayanti says the cooperation between UNIDO and IMIP will be successful. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Rahmayanti expressed her hope that the cooperation would be successful and serve as a model for industrial park transformation and upgrading driven by downstream natural resource development, with experience that can be replicated in other industrial parks across Indonesia.
"We firmly believe that through close cooperation between both parties, we will establish a new model for sustainable industrial parks that are safe, healthy, green, inclusive, replicable and scalable," said Zhang Fan, vice-president of Eternal Tsingshan Group and chairman of IMIP.
Zhang Fan, vice-president of Eternal Tsingshan Group and chairman of IMIP, says the UNIDO-IMIP cooperation will help establish a new model for sustainable industrial parks. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In the next phase, IMIP will leverage UNIDO's international platform to deepen practical cooperation with industry chain partners to develop a demonstrative "Morowali Model".
These efforts will contribute to Indonesia's economic development and deliver tangible benefits to local communities, Zhang said.
Please contact the writer at yinmingyue@chinadaily.com.cn
