By Nova Farida
IDX-listed heavy equipment, mining and energy company PT United Tractors Tbk (IDX: UNTR) is conducting a feasibility study for the development of a High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) nickel smelter in North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, with completion targeted by the end of this year.
UNTR operates the Stargate mineral mine in North Konawe, following its acquisition of PT Stargate Pacific Resources and PT Stargate Mineral Asia in late 2023. The acquisition, carried out through its subsidiary PT Danusa Tambang Nusantara, was valued at Rp 3.22 trillion.
“We hope to develop an HPAL smelter at the Stargate site,” said United Tractors Director Iwan Hadiantoro following the company’s 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in Jakarta on Friday (April 25).
Read also : United Tractors to miss gold price rally as output nears capacity
Currently, the mine’s productivity remains modest, with nickel ore production reaching 1.9 million tons in 2024. Iwan noted that sales from Stargate were also relatively low due to the ongoing construction of a Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) smelter.
The RKEF smelter, which is expected to be operational by 2027, will have a production capacity of 13,000 tons of nickel pig iron (NPI) per year. During the construction phase, nickel production at the Stargate mine is projected to remain stable at around 2–2.5 million tons annually through 2025 and 2026.
“Once the RKEF smelter begins operations, output from the Stargate mine is expected to rise to 3 million tons per year. We will maximize nickel production to supply the RKEF facility,” Iwan said.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
