I hope this (the establishment of the smelter) will provide huge added value to the export values (of copper products) as well as open a lot of working opportunities (for local community).
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expects that the establishment of a new copper smelter in West Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province, can be completed in mid-2024.

"I want to ensure that the development runs according to the plan and will be finished by the middle of next year," the president noted while visiting the smelter on Tuesday, as monitored from the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

He remarked that the progress in construction of the facility had reached over 51 percent, based on an assessment conducted by the Investment Ministry as well as Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

“I hope this (the establishment of the smelter) will provide huge added value to the export values (of copper products) as well as open a lot of working opportunities (for the local community),” the president remarked.

He stated that the construction work for several smelters, such as the ones for nickel, bauxite, and tin, had been completed.

Furthermore, he lauded PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMNT), a subsidiary of a private copper and gold mining company Amman Mineral Internasional (AMMAN), for establishing the new copper smelter.

Jokowi said that the facility is targeted to have a production capacity to process 900 thousand tons of copper concentrate into copper cathodes per year.

With the huge production capacity of the smelter, he expected that AMMAN can also build a manufacturing facility for the derivative products of copper cathodes at the location to increase added value of the mining commodity.

The investment value for construction of the smelter reached US$982 million, or equivalent of Rp14.7 trillion.

The copper concentrate processed by the smelter will be obtained from AMNT’s Batu Hijau mine, also located in West Sumbawa District.

According to the website of the company, AMMAN is also developing a precious metals refinery facility.

Establishment of the copper smelter and the precious metals refinery facility is one of the National Strategic Projects (PMN) implemented under the coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs.

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Translator: Desca Natalia, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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