With the growing threats of climate change, plans such as the European Green Deal (EGD) aim to mitigate climate change effects. However, the mining needed for the materials for renewable energy technologies could exacerbate threats to biodiversity and other ecosystems. Herein, nickel is one of the key materials required for a range of energy transitions. An area where this comes together is the Raja Ampat region in West Papua, the world’s richest coral reef area. However, since West Papua has been marked over the last decades by internal armed violence, military rule and isolation since the recolonisation from The Netherlands to Indonesia in the 1960s, nickel mining is taking place on colonised lands of Indigenous Papuans. Therefore, this research set out to investigate how nickel mining in West Papua is related to colonial injustices. Using desk research, interviews, and decoloniality in praxis, this research has been set out through three different time periods through the history, present and future prospects. Thereby, this research finds that colonial and racist structures that were set out by the Dutch as nickel mining exploration activities have been taken over by Indonesia, where nickel mining has been developed further which the Papuans often experience negative consequences. Now, with the growing demand for nickel for energy transitions, colonialism can be legitimised for the ‘green’ energy transitions. As a consequence, Papuans will continue facing their struggle against colonial injustices of not having their right to self-determination, freedom of culture and identity expression, and ongoing traumatisation.