Ask Freeport To Complete Repair Of Smelter June 2025, Bahlil: Unfinished Will Be Sanctioned

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia asked PT Freeport Indonesia to complete its smelter repairs in June 2025.

Bahlil even admitted that he had asked PTFI President Director Tony Wenas to sign a statement letter stating his ability to complete the new meter.

"I have asked Mr. Tony Wenas to sign the statement on the seal notification, so that if it is not finished until June, then he will be sanctioned, given sanctions," Bahlil told the media crew at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Building, Friday, February 21.

However, Bahlil did not mention what sanctions would be given to PTFI if the smelter located in the Gresik Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was not completed.

Bahlil said the government would grant a copper concentrate export license with the imposition of a maximum export tax as a sanction for PTFI.

Bahlil also did not elaborate further on the amount of the volume of copper concentrate that the government would allow to be exported by PTFI. Later, the provision of a copper concentrate export license will be granted in stages according to the smelter's production capability.

"But we know that June is over. But in the factory operating system, he can't be 100 percent up. It will break again. This is because we forced this to actually. Because yesterday we closed it," explained Bahlil.

Previously, PTFI President Director Tony Wenas admitted that his party was targeting the repair process to be completed in June 2025.

It is planned that the commissioning and pre-commissioning process of this facility will only start in mid-March until the 3rd week of June.

"We are confident that it can be completed in the 3rd week of June and start ramp up the 4th week of June with a capacity of 40 percent, August 50 percent, September 60 percent, October 70 percent, November 80 percent, only 100 percent December," said Tony.