Timah inaugurates smelting facilities at Kundur

State tin miner PT Timah Tbk is on the track to produce an additional of tin output following the commencement of new smelting facilities in Kundur, Riau province, company?s president said Tuesday.

?We planned to produce between 4,000 and 6,500 tons (of tin) from Kundur areas in 2006,? Timah Tbk president Thobrani Alwi said at the inauguration of the 7,000-ton-per-year capacity smelter.

Meanwhile, managing director of PT Tambang Timah, a subsidiary of Timah Tbk, Bambang Hydarto said that the new smelting plant was expected to receive around 1,000 to 2,000 tons of tin-in-concentrate from unconventional tin miners in Singkep, Dure, and Karimun islands.

Thobrani earlier said Timah Tbk was expected to produce around 40,000 tons of tin this year from 37,212 tons last year. (godang)