MNK operates detonator assembly plant

By Tri Subhki R

PT Multi Nitrotama Kimia (MNK), Indonesia?s leading provider of mining explosives and blasting services, has recently inaugurated the operation of a detonator assembly plant in Handil, Muara Jawa regency, East Kalimantan province. The plant is a joint operation between MNK and Dyno Nobel.

?The detonator assembly plant is MNK?s first step to be an explosive accessories producer in Indonesia as we previously only produced ammonium nitrate for blasting in mining sector,? Charles Daniel Gobel, President Director of MNK, said recently.

MNK sets production target at 2.3 million pieces of detonators per year and is expected to increase the capacity up to 6 million pieces. Currently, Indonesia mainly imports explosive accessories and MNK now becomes one of domestic explosive accessories producers. Domestic annual detonator demand is approximately 12 million pieces.

Timbul Siahaan, Director General of Defense Potential at Ministry of Defense, officially inaugurated the detonator assembly plant. ?The plant will improve domestic detonator supply and reduce imported products,? he said. The government, according to Timbul, expects the domestic detonator supply share may reach 90 percent of total supply.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak