PT Antam Completes Pomalaa Feni No. 2 Smelter Upgrade

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Manila, Philippines)--PT Aneka Tambang TBK (JK:ANTM) (Jakarta, Indonesia), Indonesia's state-owned mining company, has successfully upgraded the machines and facilities of the Pomalaa ferronickel 2 smelter No. 2.

The smelter resumed operations on April 12 in an official ceremony held at PT Antam's Pomalaa ferronickel smelter complex at Sulawesi Tenggara. The 75-day optimization and modernization program began on January 21 with an initial cost of $62 million.

"The optimization of the FeNi 2 smelter is part of our strategy to improve operational efficiency and safety levels," Alwinsyah Lubis, the president of PT Antam, said in a statement.

Despite the interruption caused by the project, PT Antam expects to meet its production target of 18,000 tonnes of nickel in 2012.

According to Mr. Lubis, the Pomalaa FeNi No. 1 smelter will also have a makeover starting July 2012 to increase its capacity to 6,000 tonnes per year. The smelter will be shut down to make way for construction activities estimated to last one year. Among the major improvements Pomalaa FeNi 1 will have is a gas cleaning unit to reduce emissions levels at the smelter.

By December, PT Antam will also focus on constructing its nickel ore smelter in Tanjung, Maluku Utara. The $1 billion nickel smelter project includes a 239-megawatt power plant, an oxygen plant, bulk storage facility and a port terminal.

The Tanjung nickel ore smelter is scheduled to be completed by 2014 and is expected to raise PT Antam's nickel production by 27,000 tonnes per year.

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