Macika to complete nickel smelter in 2016

By Thomas Sembiring

PT Macika Mineral Industri said it expects to complete ferronickel smelter project in South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, in 2016.

President Director Alexander Roemokoy told Petromindo.com that construction progress has alrady reached 92 percent. ?We?re now slowing it down. We?ll complete it in 2016,? he said in a text message, but stopped short of explaining why it has to slowdown the construction process.

Previous report in March said that the Macika nickel smelter was supposed to come on stream in 2015.

Macika is building a US$61 million ferronickel smelter with a production capacity of 53,680 mt per year and nickel content of 12 percent. The smelter will consist of three lines of production each with an investment of $20 million.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak