ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo inaugurated the copper cathode smelter and precious metal refinery smelter owned by PT Amman Mineral Internasional, Tbk., (AMMAN) on Monday, September 23 2024 in West Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province. This smelter was built with an investment of up to IDR 21 trillion.
This inauguration marks a new milestone in the Indonesian government’s efforts to encourage downstream mineral and coal sectors, as well as increase the added value of natural resources.
With the smelter, Indonesia will no longer just export raw materials, but also finished products with higher added value. This will increase the country’s foreign exchange, open up new jobs, and encourage downstream industrial growth. Apart from that, the smelter will also spur technology transfer and improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources.
“We have entered a new phase in the downstreaming of the copper industry and we are looking forward to becoming an advanced industrial country by processing its own natural resources. And we want the world’s need for copper products in the future to depend on our country Indonesia, no longer exporting raw materials, “explained President Jokowi.
In line with the President, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, Bahlil Lahadalia, stated that the construction of a copper smelter is a strategic step to increase the added value of natural resources and is not just an infrastructure project.
“With the smelter, we not only export raw materials but also finished products which have a higher selling value,” he said.
With a production capacity capable of processing 900,000 tons of copper concentrate per year, the Amman smelter will produce high quality copper cathodes which are the main raw material in various strategic industries, such as electronics, automotive and construction. Apart from that, the production of gold, silver and selenium will provide significant added value to the national economy.
“With the operation of these smelters, the added value of our mineral resources will increase, thereby increasing the country’s foreign exchange, opening up employment opportunities and encouraging regional economic growth,” he said.
In May 2024, the Amman copper smelter construction project has reached a significant stage. Based on the results of independent verification, the smelter has entered the commissioning stage since May 31 2024. This stage marks the smelter’s readiness to start production operations.
This smelter is designed to process 900,000 tons per year of copper concentrate into 220,000 tons per year of high quality copper cathode (LME Grade A). Apart from that, the smelter will also produce 830,000 tons of sulfuric acid as a by-product.
Apart from the production of copper cathodes and sulfuric acid, the Amman smelter is also equipped with anode sludge processing (PMR) facilities. This PMR facility will process 970 tons of anode mud per year into various value-added products such as gold, silver and selenium. Production of refined gold with a purity of 99.99% has started since the end of January 2023, while production of silver and selenium will start at the end of May 2024.
Thus, the Amman smelter not only focuses on copper production, but also optimizes the use of existing resources to produce various other value-added products. (AT Network)
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