PT Timah Kaji Substitutes Coal As Smelter Fuel With Gas

Director of Business Development of PT Timah Suhendra Yusuf Ratu Prawiranegara. (Photo: Maria Trisnawati/VOI)

JAKARTA - PT Pertamina Tbk (TINS) is reviewing the possibility of replacing coal as a gas lighter in the Top Submerge Lance (TSL) technology refining industry Ausmelt Furnace in the Metalurgi Muntok Unit area, West Bangka Regency.

Director of Business Development of PT Timah Suhendra Yusuf Ratu Prawiranegara explained that the smelter, which was inaugurated in November 2022, used coal as an incendiary.

The coal used so far is supplied from the mine owned by PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA).

"It's good and very good for efficiency, then in terms of emissions it reduces all carbon, but it does take a process, it takes time, and costs," he said, quoted Monday, August 25.

In terms of production costs, Yusuf continued, the use of gas and coal is not much different.

Namun hingga saat ini, PT Timah belum bisa memperkirakan kapan smelter anggih ini akan mul menggunakan gas.

"Calculated if we compare the gas and coal, yes, it's not much different," he said.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, this smelter is still constrained by tin supply for production needs.

Despite being the only smelter with TSL technology in Southeast Asia, production is recorded at only 20,000 tons of ingots per year.

Even though this smelter has a production capacity of 40,000 tons per year.

"The production is still quite large, but in terms of supply, we still give it less. Even though the capacity is very large," continued Suhendra.

Untuk itu, Suhendra menyebut, PT Timah ingin mengoptimalkan kapasitas produksi smelter ini dengan kinerja mitra penambang agar kapasitas produksi konsentrat timah dapat terpenuhi.

"Harus dioptimalkan pasokannya. Itu yang kita harapkan dari segala macam perjanjian mitra ‘Lo harus setor sekian-sekian untuk smelternya’," tandas dia.

For this reason, Suhendra said, PT Timah wants to optimize the production capacity of this smelter with the performance of mining partners so that tin concentrate production capacity can be met.

"The supply must be optimized. That's what we expect from all kinds of partner agreements. You have to deposit a lot for the smelter," he said.