The operation of the copper smelter is an effort to reverse Indonesia's gross domestic product from consumption to production.
Sumbawa Barat, West Nsusa Teng (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo inaugurated the copper smelter and precious metal refinery of PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMNT) in West Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara.

"Indonesia, (ranking) as the world's top seven copper reserves owner, is entering a new chapter in the downstreaming of the copper industry," he remarked during the inauguration event on Monday.

The president highlighted that Indonesia's gross domestic product is still dominated by domestic consumption, reaching 56 percent.

Hence, the operation of the copper smelter is an effort to reverse Indonesia's gross domestic product from consumption to production.

"We also want the world's copper product needs to depend on Indonesia in the future," the head of state affirmed.

The Amman copper smelter and precious metal refinery facility stands in an area of 272 hectares, some 1.5 kilometers from Benete Port.

The smelter's annual processing capacity reaches 900 thousand tons by processing copper concentrate from the Batu Hijau mine and the Elang mine, as well as 139 thousand tons of silica flux per year.

The president explained that the main production of the smelter is 220 thousand tons per year of LME Grade A copper cathode, with a purity of 99.99 percent, and 830 thousand tons per year of sulfuric acid, with 98.50 percent purity.

Meanwhile, the main feature of precious metal refining is 987 tons per year of anode mud, with the main product being 18 tons per year of gold bars with a purity of 99.99 percent, followed by 55 tons annually of silver bars with 99.95 percent purity, and 77 tons per year of selenium with 99.9 percent purity.

President Commissioner of Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara Hilmi Panigoro stated that the newly inaugurated smelter is one of the national strategic projects built as a tangible manifestation of the company's commitment to developing the mining industry in Indonesia.

"With the operation of this copper smelter, we are hopeful that Indonesia's position in the global copper supply chain will become stronger," Panigoro stated.

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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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