JAKARTADAILY.ID – The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) said it has completed the construction of seven mineral processing facilities or smelters in 2022.
The Indonesian government previously set a target to build 53 smelters by 2024.
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"Seven smelter projects have been completed in 2022, namely by PT Aneka Tambang in Pomalaa, Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi, PT Vale Indonesia in South Sulawesi, PT Wanatiara Persada in North Maluku, PT Fajar Bhakti Lintas Nusantara, PT Weda Bay Nickel in Maluku, PT ANTAM (P3FH project) in North Maluku and PT Sebuku Iron Lateritic Ores in South Kalimantan, which is an iron smelter, produces sponge ferroalloy," said ESDM Minister Arifin Tasrif at the 2022 Performance Achievement Press Conference and 2023 ESDM Ministry Work Program in Jakarta, Monday, January 30, 2023.
Arifin targets that by 2023 there will be an additional 17 smelters to meet domestic processing needs.
"We are targeting that in 2023 there will be 17 more smelters that must be completed," added Arifin.
He continued to say that in June 2023, the Government will ban the export of bauxite in the form of ore (unprocessed), so that the management of bauxite must be carried out domestically.
"The total bauxite input capacity in 2022 is 13.88 million tons and 4.3 million tons are still utilized per year, while we are still importing aluminum. The construction of the smelting to process aluminum can be completed so that we can absorb the input capacity we already have up to 100 percent and we don't import aluminum anymore, we can even export it," said Arifin.
The Director General of Minerals and Coal, M. Idris Sihite who is also the Head of the Legal Bureau of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said that it is an obligation for companies to build smelters to process their mineral production in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, namely Law No. 3 of 2020 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining. Coal.
"What we use as a guideline is Law No. 3 of 2020 which expressly states that as of June 2023, it is no longer permissible to export ore, so what we are doing is implementing the provisions of the law which prohibit the export of ore, (mandatory ) process it domestically," said Idris at the same event.
The construction of smelter facilities is a mandate from the Law (UU) which must be obeyed and implemented. Mineral raw materials are processed domestically to provide added value and greater benefits for the people of Indonesia. ***
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