Coordinating Minister for Maritime Ensure that 7 Smelters Ready to Operate This Year

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Ensure that 7 Smelters Ready to Operate This Year

Coordinating Minister for Maritime, Indroyono Susilo, ensure that the seven processing plants and purification (smelter) worth 1.4 billion US dollars as part of efforts to down streaming, is ready to operate in 2015.

“Seven new smelter are ready to operate, consisting of an aluminum smelter and six nickel smelter,” Indroyono said after attending a coordination meeting to discuss about mineral and coal sectors in Jakarta, Wednesday (18/3) evening.

Indroyono said that with the smelter means that Indonesia could gain added value from the down streaming process, which in the long term will be beneficial to boost national export sector.

“By building the smelter, could process the nickel ore in the country. It was a very high benefit. Nickel ore, if we sell the crude nickel amounting 50 million tons the price is 2 billion US dollars, but if we process in the country amounting of 4 million tons will generate of 1 billion US dollars,” he said.

Relevant institutions, among others, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), and Institute of Technology Surabaya (ITS) can help accelerate the development of small-capacity smelter.

“We try to accelerate the construction of smelter for minerals. Including the new ones construction. There will be numerous, ranging 2015-2019 were completed and operates in either of the nickel, iron ore, iron sand and aluminum,” Indroyono said. (WID/ES)