Freeport Smelter Ready for Operation in June 2024, Minister Says

Jumat, 1 Maret 2024 - 23:30 WIB

Oleh :

Arianti Widya

Menteri ESDM Arifin Tasrif meninjau progres PT Smelter Freeport Indonesia [dok. PT Freeport Indonesia]

Sumber :

VIVA.co.id/Mohammad Yudha Prasetya

Gresik – The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif conveyed that the Freeport Indonesia smelter in the JIIPE area, Gresik, East Java is ready to operate in June 2024.

"The progress of the smelter construction is according to plan. I appreciate Freeport's seriousness in supporting the mining downstream policy. I feel optimistic that the PTFI smelter can operate in June 2024," said the Minister on Thursday.

Minister Tasrif said that the construction of the PTFI copper refining factory (smelter) was part of the government's program to accelerate mining downstreaming. As an important step to realize Indonesia as a developed country.

Menteri ESDM Arifin Tasrif.

Photo :

VIVA/Anisa Aulia

Jenpino Ngabdi as Deputy President Director of Freeport Indonesia on the same occasion said that the smelter construction was running smoothly and on target.

"The current progress of the smelter construction is according to plan and will be ready to operate in June 2024. The PTFI smelter will start production in August 2024 and then ramp up to reach full capacity at the end of December 2024," Ngabdi explained.

As information, the construction of this smelter is mandated by PTFI's Special Mining Business Permit (IUPK). The smelter is located in the JIIPE Special Economic Zone (KEK), Manyar District, Gresik Regency.

PTFI has invested up to 3.1 billion United States dollars or the equivalent of IDR48 trillion as of the end of December 2023.

This is PTFI's second smelter. The first smelter was built in 1996 and managed by Smelting.

The copper smelter with the largest Single Line Design in the world will be able to refine copper concentrate with a production capacity of 1.7 million tons and produce up to 600,000 tons of copper cathode per year.

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The smelter's main products are copper cathodes, pure gold and silver bars, and PGM (Platinum Group Metal). By-products include sulfuric acid, gypsum, and lead.

"After the smelter is fully operational at the end of 2024, all PTFI mining products will be refined domestically. This will increase added value and make a significant contribution to state revenues," he remarked.