Minister inaugurates Antam?s GFA plant

By Ruli Setiawan

Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurabaya Bakar inaugurated on Tuesday the operation of a green fine aggregate (GFA) plant at the Pongkor gold mine in West Java, operated by IDX-listed mining firm PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam).

Antam President Director Tedy Bardurjaman said in a statement that the GFA plant is Indonesia?s first innovation plant in waste utilization into construction material.

?The GFA plant reflects our innovation effort in the implementation of good mining practices in Antam. We are committed in mitigating the impact of gold mining activities to the environment. The use of GFA as ready to use material signals our intention to deliver both economic and social added values to the community.?

GFA is the residual from gold and silver processing in Pongkor gold mine. In gold mining, tailing storage facility (TSF), similar to landfill, is commonly used in tailing management. Antam?s Pongkor gold mine has also used this similar approach in tailing management. The GFA plant will process the tailing into concrete material using solidification and geopolimerization methods. The plant will produce concrete block, paving block, con block, kanstein, light brick, brick press, panel/concrete pole, rigid pavement for roads, u-ditch, v-ditch, concrete tiles, tile, concrete ornaments as well as street medians. The processing of GFA will also benefit in the reduction of environmental concern as well as providing the sustainability of the Pongkor area inline with the post mining plan.

As part of the launch of the GFA plant, Antam and The National Standarization Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Standardization and Compatibility Assessment and Development. Antam also signed a Charter of Understanding with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on Tailing Utilization with Indonesian National Standard to Support Green Infrastructure.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak