SMM7, 8 July: recently, Arif S. Tiammar, a senior consultant to, PT Wanatiara Persada, revealed that at present, the company's nickel smelter in Obi Island, North Maluku Province, has reached 93% of its construction progress, with a production capacity of 260000 tons and a nickel content of 15%.

He said that the ferronickel smelter has four processing facilities, the first production line is now in operation, the subsequent three production lines are expected to be put into operation in December. In terms of operation, the smelter can produce 2 million tons of nickel ore per year. At the same time, the nickel mine of the smelter will be supplied by a mine owned by PT Wanatiara Persada, which has a production and operating mining license, (IUP OP). However, with not much nickel reserves, Arif said it would import nickel supplies from other mines. In terms of investment, the cost of investing in the ferronickel smelter is as high as $600 million.

It is reported that, PT Wanatiara Persada's nickel smelter aims to become one of the three smelters to operate in 2019. In addition to Wanatiara's smelter, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources says the PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) ferronickel smelter in North Maluku and East Hamahela will also operate this year, as well as a lead commodity smelter built by PT Kapuas Prima Citra.

By 2018, ESDM had recorded 20 smelters operating. Of the 20 existing smelters, 13 are nickel smelters, two smelters process copper commodities, two smelters process aluminium, two iron smelters and one manganese smelter. By 2022, the country will add 40 new smelters.

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