Bintan Alumina optimistic to complete smelter in 2017

PT Bintan Alumina Indonesia said it is optimistic to be able to complete the construction of a smelter that would process bauxite ores into alumina as targeted in 2017.

Company Director Santoni was quoted by Bisnis Indonesia as claiming Friday that there have been no serious challenges in developing the smelter, which would have an annual capacity to process and refine 5-6 million tons of bauxite ores into 2 million tons of alumina.

?We?re optimistic the operation target in 2017 will be achieved, although we?re now taking cost saving measures as we could not make sales,? he said.

Mineral miners have not been able to continue export of mineral ores following the export ban policy introduced by the government in January of this year as part of measures to force miner to develop domestic smelters to generate greater value from mineral commodities.

Bintan Alumina is teaming up with China?s Nanshan Group in developing the US$1 billion alumina smelter in Bintan Island, Riau Islands Province.

Santoni said that once the first stage construction has been completed, the company would then move to second stage construction of the smelter to further refine the alumina output from the first smelter, a project expected to be completed in three years, which once completed will be followed with the third stage construction to produce final aluminum output by 2024. (*)