Roadmap on metal industry focuses on 4 commodities

By Bambang Atmaja

The Ministry of Industry has recently set up a roadmap for metal based industries that focuses on steel, nickel, copper and aluminum, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Director General of Manufacturing Base Industry at the ministry Benny Wachjudi said that the roadmap was a basic framework for the development and establishment of industry by maximizing the potential of metal resources in an attempt to build a strong national industry.

Under the roadmap, it was also stipulated about the market potential or demand by up to 2025, the potential of mineral ores that could be used for raw material of industry, the areas potential for smelter construction in line with the potential of mining and presence of industrial areas, Benny told Petromindo.com.

The roadmap also said about the potential of investment on mineral-based industry, minimum supporting factors on the development and establishment of industry such as from infrastructure, and the policies required.

Benny said that according to the roadmap, demand of stainless steel in the country was moderately projected at 400,000 tons in 2025, while the optimistic projection was at 800,000 tons. Nickel output in the country in the form of ferronickel this year was estimated at 18,000 tons.

Meanwhile, the aluminum output this year was forecast at 250,000 tons. Demand for the commodity, according to the roadmap, was moderately forecast at 2.73 million tons in 2025, while based on an optimistic scenario, demand was projected at 5.46 million tons.

Copper cathode production was estimated at 280,000 tons this year and its moderate demand forecast in the next 22 years was at 1.37 million tons, while the optimistic projection is at 2.74 million tons.

On crude steel, production in 2013 was estimated at about 6 million tons, he said. In 2025 the demand of the commodity was projected at 20 million tons based on moderate forecast, while optimistic forecast was 40 million tons.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak