The Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Explains The Reasons For Not Giving The Export Permit For The Copper Concentrat To Freeport

Director General of Mineral and Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Tri Winarno (Maria/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has not issued a copper concentrate export permit for PT Freeport Indonesia. The export license for the copper concentrate is known to have expired on December 31, 2024.

The Director General of Mineral and Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Tri Winarno, said that his party had not given an export permit to PTFI because it needed a trigger or reason to be given an export permit.

The reason in question is the reason for the condition of the majeure force.

"Actually, exports have been banned. Now there must be certain conditions that cause the ban to be opened. So, for example, the condition of a mahar, for example. So who causes the condition of a mahar? That must have a statement like that. So later if for example there is a statement like that, we have already done this," said Tri, quoted on Saturday, February 8.

For this reason, Tri emphasized that his party had not given an export permit to PTFI if it was not accompanied by strong reasons. "Not yet given permission," added Tri.

For information, previously the President Director of PTFI, Tony Wenas asked the government to grant export permits due to a fire that occurred in the PTFI smelter in Gresik. However, Tri said that his party still had to carry out an in-depth investigation regarding the incident.

"It means a fire. The fire was intentional or not," explained Tri.

He admitted that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources had also dispatched an investigation team so that the investigation process was still ongoing. He suspected that the fire was caused by electrical conditions in the Freeport smelter.

"It's like that, electricity. What is electricity? Yes, that's what it is. I don't know the term," said Tri.

For information, the amount of the copper concentrate export quota requested by PTFI has been disclosed by the Director of Portfolio and Business Development MIND ID, Dilo Seno Widagdo. Dilo revealed that Freeport produced 3 million tons of copper concentrate which were sent to a smelter managed by PT Smelting Gresik Manyar of 1.7 million tons, and the remaining 1.3 million tons were sent to the smelter at JIIPE Gresik.

"Our concentrate is from 3 million. 1.3 to PT Smelting, Gersik, Manyer. The 1.7 will go to JIIPE. The problem is to JIIPE. So only 1.7. The 1.3 will remain," said Dilo to the media crew in Jakarta, Thursday, January 9.

Furthermore, Dilo said, the application for concentrat exports was due to a force majeure which caused the PTFI smelter at JIIPE not to operate optimally. The PTFI operation will operate optimally in June 2025.