Chinese investor interested in Vale?s Bahodopi smelter project
Wednesday, March 29 2017 - 02:45 AM WIB
Petromindo|Lucky
A Chinese investor has expressed interest in partnering with IDX-listed integrated nickel mining firm PT Vale Indonesia Tbk to build a ferronickel plant in Bahodopi, Central Sulawesi, Thejakartapost.com reported on Wednesday.
?A Chinese investor has conducted a pre-feasibility study for the Bahodopi smelter. The study is expected to be completed in September,? Vale Indonesia President Director Nico Kanter said after an annual general meeting of shareholders on Monday.
The Bahodopi smelter adds to the list of smelter projects that Vale Indonesia is working on at the moment.
The company, part of Brazilian mining giant Vale, is planning to build a US$2 billion ferronickel smelter in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi. The construction of the new facility is initially slated to begin in 2018, while it is expected to start operating in 2023.
However, it is still waiting for the issuance of forest area utilization permits (IPPKH) and is in the process of revising the environmental impact analysis (Amdal) for the project.
It has teamed up with Japanese miner Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. to develop high pressure acid leaching (HPAL) technology for the Pomalaa processing plant and is looking for another partner to help produce the ferronickel in the facility.
This portal previously reported that the company, while maintaining partnership with Sumitomo, is also looking for new partner in the Pomalaa project. Niko said last year that the company wanted to have at least 30 percent stake in the two aforementioned smelter projects. He said at the time that investors from China, Japan and Canada have expressed interest in the projects.
Vale Indonesia is looking to upgrade its nickel smelter in Sorowako, South Sulawesi, as well, so that it can increase its production capacity to 90,000 tons of nickel in matte a year by 2019, compared to the current 80,000 tons of nickel in matte a year. (*)