Jasindo developing manganese smelter in Kupang
Saturday, February 11 2012 - 04:09 AM WIB
PT Jasindo Utama is developing a manganese smelter in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara with an installed production capacity of 24,000 tons per month, and a total investment of Rp 1.1 trillion.
The company said on Saturday that the construction work of the smelter had been started since September 2011 and once production is started it would employ around 1,200 people.
?We hope that the manganese smelter plant can produce top quality products in the forms of ferromanganese and siliconmanaganese for export. In the first phase, our production capacity will be 3,000 tons per month, at second phase 6,000 tons per month, and later at third phase it will be 24,000 tons per month," said PT Jasindo Utama's President Director Chang Chongching on Saturday.
The company announced that Coordinating Minister of Economy, Hatta Rajasa, led a ground breaking ceremony to mark the construction of the smelter on Saturday February 11, 2012 in Benu village, Takari subdistrict in Kupang regency.
The first phase of the smelter's development was scheduled to be between September 2011 until May 2013, second phase from August 2013 to October 2014, and third phase from January 2015 to August 2016.
Chang pointed out that when the smelter started production, local people would be able to sell their own mined manganese direct to the smelter at appropriate prices.
"We hope that all stakeholders can cooperate to make the smelter successful. We hope the government will support the plant's operation with supportive regulations and all necessary infrastructure," he said.
He said that Jasindo had planned to export the manganese product to South Korea and other countries in East Asia at an estimated value of US$3.75 million per annum. The exports volume will gradually increase to an average of US$30 million per annum.
"For domestic market, we'll be ready to supply manganese to PT Krakatau Steel," he said.
Editing by Benget Besalicto Tnb.