Optimistic Freeport Gresik Smelter Operated May 2024, Vice President Ma'ruf: Often Many Manpower

Vice President (Wapres) Ma'ruf Amin. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin visited the construction site of a PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) refining plant in the Java Integrated Industrial Estate (JIIPE), Gresik, East Java, Tuesday, February 7.

Ma'ruf is optimistic that the construction of the world's largest single line smelter plant can operate in May 2024 as planned to process PT FI's production concentrate.

"The government is in order to develop its industry to carry out downstreaming and the construction of the smelter is an implementation of downstreaming, so I reviewed the PT Freeport Indonesia smelter," Ma'ruf told the media, Tuesday.

The construction of the second PTFI smelter, continued Ma'ruf, is the pride of the Indonesian nation because it is the largest smelter in the world by processing a concentrate of up to 1.7 million tons of products from PTFI. Meanwhile, PT Smelting is able to process 1.3 million tons.

"Overall it can manage 3 million tonnes of concentrate," Ma'ruf continued.

Another multiplier effect of this project is the absorption of around 11,000 workers with a composition of 98 percent of Indonesia's workforce, of which 50 percent comes from local East Java workers.

"This project will also absorb large workers, namely as many as 11,000 workers for that, the local government needs to prepare trade workers and by conducting vocational training training training according to the demands that exist here," continued Ma'ruf.

Regarding the target for completing the smelter project according to the target, namely the completion target of the construction at the end of December 2023, the Commercial Operation Date (COD) at the end of December 2024 and starting production in May 2024, the Vice President said he was optimistic that he could see the current progress that had exceeded the set target.

"I am optimistic that the work can be wasted according to the target, in fact, how much has been planned to be achieved and exceed 2 percent of the target. This means that the target for May 2024 I hope that if it can be moved forward early because there is already a part that has been completed first, I am optimistic that this can be completed," explained Ma'ruf.

In the same place, PTFI President Director Toni Wenas said, apart from processing concentrates into copper cathodes.

In this smelter, silver and gold bullion will also be produced because there are precious metal refinery (PMR) facilities as well as nickel, aluminum, lithum and cobalt which are part of the electric vehicle ecosystem.

"In this smelter, copper will be produced, one of the main ingredients for the electric vehicle ecosystem) besides of course there is nickel, aluminum also has cobalt and lithium. So these are all very important elements for the downstream industry and I am sure because the President has made several preparations, this electric vehicle ecosystem that will be formed in Indonesia," said Toni.

Toni hopes that after the second smelter PTFI produces it can be a stimulus for the growth of other downstream industries, especially those related to the electric vehicle ecosystem.

"We hope that with the absence of this smelter development project, more downstream industries can grow, especially related to building an electric vehicle ecosystem," he concluded.