Can Earn 1.5 Million Tons Of Copper Katoda In 2025, Freeport Pede Can Shift Japan And Russia

VP Government Relations of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), Harry Pancasakti. (Photo: Screenshot)

JAKARTA - VP of Government Relations of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), Harry Pancasakti projects that Indonesia can produce 1.5 million tons of copper cathodes by 2025.

He said, in 2025 with the operation of PT Smelting Gresik, 65 percent is owned by Freeport Indonesia and plus production from Amman Mineral, Indonesia can produce 1.5 million tons of cathodes.

He detailed that Freeport and PT Smelting will produce 1 million tonnes of cathode while Amman Mineral will produce 500,000 tonnes.

"Dimensionally, maybe Indonesia will become 1.5 million tons of copper cathodes per year that can be produced or produced in Indonesia," he said in the Second Leaders of the Forum, Tuesday, September 17.

With 1.5 million tons of cathodes generated, he is optimistic that Indonesia will become a producer of copper cathodes of around 1.5 million tons by 2025 from concentrate.

Indonesia is also projected to be the number 4 largest producer of copper cathodes in the world.

For information, China currently has the largest copper producer position with a production of 12 million tons, followed by Chile with 2 million tons, then Congo 1.9 million tons and fourth and fifth positions under the olegh of Japan and Russia with a production of 1.5 million and 1 million tons, respectively.

"Well, what is the next challenge, what is the next downstream like? Because the added value from the concentrate to the copper cathode which was only 3.5-5 percent, while the actual added value is what we will make or we produce from this copper data store product into a product whose added value is much larger," he explained.

Moreover, he said, PT Smelting, which has produced since 1998, 50 percent of its cathode products can only be exported.

Meanwhile, he said, there was only one commitment from one industry in Gresik's special economic zone which would absorb 100,000 tons per year.

"The remaining 500,000 tons. If there are no domestic consumers, we will automatically have to export them and export them not far away. Southeast Asia is copper from Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia," he concluded.