Bosowa to build nickel smelting plant

Bosowa Corporation, through its subsidiary PT Bosowa Metal Industri (BMI), plans to build a nickel smelting plant in Jeneponto, South Sulawesi, with total investment of about US$330 million or about Rp 3.13 trillion, Kontan reported on Monday.

Chief Executive Officer of Bosowa Corporation, Erwin Aksa, said in Jakarta last week that the company would begin the construction of the smelting plant in the second semester of next year.

?At present, the smelting project is still at the stage of design and engineering,? he said, adding that the construction would last for about 30 months. ?If it runs as scheduled, the smelter will be able to begin operation in late 2015,? he added.

Erwin said that the smelter would process nickel ores from Bosowa?s nickel mines in Southeast Sulawesi and from nickel mines operated by other companies in Maluku and South Halmahera.

Bosowa Corporation is scheduled to inaugurate its coal fired power plant with capacity of 2 x 25 MW in Jeneponto to help cope with the power shortage in South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi.(*)