Construction of Coend-19 Controlled Smelter
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The Covid-19 pandemic affected the construction of a smelter. A number of companies have reported formally to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) regarding the obstacles encountered. The smelters affected include the copper smelter project of PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara.
ESDM Ministry's Director General of Minerals and Coal Bambang Gatot confirmed that there were letters from Freeport and Amman reporting the constraints on smelter construction. Bambang said the report he received was only limited to the notification of the smelter construction constraints.
Freeport Gold Mine
However, Bambang did not expose any obstacles encountered. His office also has no official report on the revision of the development plan and completion targets. The Amman smelter is targeted to be completed in 2022 and the Freeport smelter in 2023.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is currently preparing mitigation measures to be taken to help overcome these obstacles. It's just that Bambang hasn't explained the efforts prepared by the government.
Separately, Freeport Indonesia Spokesperson Riza Pratama confirmed the impact of Covid-19 on the construction of a smelter in Gresik, East Java. It continues to watch the development and dynamics of Covid-19. Riza has not been able to reveal further related to the obstacles faced in the construction of the smelter.
However, he stressed that he would continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources regarding the fate of smelter construction during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The progress of the construction of a smelter with a capacity of 2 million tons of concentrate until March reached 4.88 percent. This level of progress is the result of the verification of an independent verifier. From these results, Freeport received an extension of the concentrate export permit recommendation for one year starting March 16 yesterday.
Head of Corporate Communications of Amman Mineral Kartika Octaviana previously said the Covid-19 pandemic affected the smelter construction. The reason is, most of the business partners that support the construction of smelters come from various countries that have contracted Covid-19.
Kartika revealed, the progress of smelters located in West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara until January reached 22.97%. This July is the scheduled time for a six-month periodic evaluation by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. After the applicable rules, if the progress does not reach at least 90% of the work plan, the concentrate export permit will be revoked.
Therefore Amman officially conveyed to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources the obstacles faced in the construction of smelters. Bambang previously expressed his concern regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the smelter project. He once told, when visiting the PT Virtue Dragon smelter project in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, his side saw that the work on the project was beginning to be disrupted due to the spread of the Corona Virus.
Referring to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources data, this year, the number of mineral smelters in operation is targeted to be 21 units, up from last year's 17 units. That is, there are four smelter projects targeted to start operating this year. In total in the period 2020-2024, the ministry is targeting the construction of 35 smelter units.
Investor Daily, Page-9, Monday, April 27, 2020
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