PT Vale Indonesia Bangun Pelabuhan Saprolite Ore Di Morowali

PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (INCO) continues to boost the construction of Saprolite Ore port. (photo: Doc. PT Vale Indonesia )

JAKARTA - PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (INCO) continues to boost development in the construction phase by starting the construction of the Saprolite Ore port.

Earlier on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, as many as 26 stakepoles were installed to complete the design which began on Friday, February 2, 2024. This port is located as far as 236 meters from the shoreline of Bahomootefe Village, East Bungku District, Morowali Regency.

A total of 303 stakepoles with a length of 42 to 48 meters will be installed for offshore and mainland (onshore) infrastructure development. The ports built include Ore Berth, Diesel Berth Platform, Mooring Dolphin and Cat Walk, Approach Bridge in Deep Waters, and Trestle. Construction of the port is targeted for completion in February 2025.

The Director of Mine Project IGP Morowali, Wafir, said that the design is the foundation for the construction of a port which is one of the important milestones of the Morowali IGP project.

Wafir explained, before the planning was carried out, three priority aspects were the main focus for management, namely social, safety and environmental aspects.

Before we do the planning, there are several priority things from the management of the Morowali IGP, the first is how we handle community issues. Second, the relationship with safety and the three relationships with the environment. So, these three aspects are our concern at the beginning before planning," explained Wafir.

Wafir said, before planning, the Morowali IGP team had carried out socialization and approach to the surrounding community, especially for affected communities such as fishermen. "For community issues or social aspects, we have approached and socialized with the community and groups of fishermen regarding the plan for planning activities, thank God we have positive support," he said.

Meanwhile, from the safety aspect, the team installed safety signs or information signs and warnings around planning activities both on land and sea. Management also verifies and rechecks the equipment used to comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in effect at PT Vale.

"Those related to safety, we install warning signs both on land and at sea. On land, we install points or information signs as markers of activities that will go through our planning area. In addition, we also check all the stake equipment in accordance with the standards required by PT Vale, before the planning team carries out activities," he explained.

In order to ensure that the work takes place safely, IGP Morowali also carries out training for all workers involved in planning activities. The team also carried out safety training for all stake crews who did planning work, because there are several things that become Major Hazard Standard in planning activities, including working close to water, lifting, and working at high levels, "he added.

As a form of environmental management carried out in planning activities, the Morowali IGP team carries the use of the Steel Pipe Pile (SPP), which is a steel pipe stack pole. The use of this SPP does not cause an increase in mud as a result of the design. Other control or mitigation carried out is the use of clean materials such as rock splits and the installation of geotextiles as a barrier to material runoff so as not to cause riots in sea water. The team also installed a Silt Curtain which functions as a barrier and can reduce sedimentation distribution.

"Our activities at sea or this design intersect directly with environmental problems, because several things during the design process will be feared to affect the environment around the sea. Therefore, the team prepares special equipment to avoid pollution against the environment in the design process," he explained.

Wafir hopes that the port construction work will take place safely from all aspects and can be completed on time. "Hopefully, the port construction process can run smoothly, there will be no disturbance to the community, we will maintain the safety and sustainability of the environment in the construction area. Hopefully in February 2025, the port can be completed and can be operated for project purposes," he concluded.

It is known that the stakepole is used in port infrastructure construction to provide structural support to the foundation implanted into the ground or seabed to create a sturdy foundation. The use of this stake helps support the structure of the port building so that it can withstand the loading and dynamic load that arises due to port activity. A sturdy foundation is the key to sustainability and infrastructure security in port environments that often experience heavy burdens from loading and unloading activities and ship movements.