MIND ID’s ANTAM Haltim Ferronickel Plant Construction Project Group Enters First Metal Tapping Phase, Targeting Completion at End of Quarter III 2023

Jakarta, 18 September 2023 – MIND ID, the Holding State-Owned Enterprise for the Mining Industry, through one of its members, PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTAM), is building the Halim Ferronickel Plant Construction Project (P3FH). The project entered the first meta-tapping process on 12 September 2023.

First metal tapping is the commissioning series of the Haltim Ferronickel Plant and at the same time, the continuation of the switch-on Electric Smelting Furnace (ESF) phase. Previously, the ESF was held on 19 July 2023.

“Since the first phase, the operations of ANTAM’s Haltim Ferronickel Plant have been part of MIND ID’s commitment to supporting the downstreaming of mining commodities. MIND ID will continue its commitment to implement the mandate of the government to become a world-class company through the control and utilization of mineral and coal reserves owned by Indonesia”, said MIND Corporate Secretary, Heri Yusuf.

The Halim Ferronickel Plant Construction Project (P3FH) is one of the mineral downstreaming programs conducted by ANTAM in the context of supporting the mineral industry strengthening in Indonesia. The plant is also part of MIND ID Group member’s commitment to focus on the completion of the company’s strategic project in 2023.

The first metal tapping of the Haltim Ferronickel Plant is the third phase of the commissioning series. This phase is targeted for completion at the end of the third quarter in 2023.

“ANTAM always ensures stability and safety of plant operations, including during the commissioning process. With the completion of the first metal tapping, ANTAM will henceforth begin to prepare commercial production,” said ANTAM’s Director of Business Development, I Dewa Wirantaya.

Meanwhile, the first phase of Haltim Ferronickel Plant’s operations began on 7 July 2023. This was marked with the burner-on of the furnace before the flow of electricity.

Upon completion of the furnace process, the Haltim Ferronickel Plant then switched on the furnace. In this process, the nickel and chromium smelting plant is officially in operation.

In 2020, ANTAM continued the completion of the Line I Phase I of the Halim Ferronickel Plant Construction Project (P3FH). Moreover, ANTAM also completed the plant’s supporting infrastructure, which has entered the project construction phase since 2017.

Up to December 2020, 98.12% of the plant’s physical construction has been completed. Aside from the construction of the ferronickel processing plant, in 2020, ANTAM also continued the construction of the plant’s supporting infrastructure, covering the development of the town area site and other supporting infrastructure, according to the target and plan that have been stipulated.

The Haltim Ferronickel Plant located at East Halmahera, North Maluku, has a production capacity of 13,500 tons of nickel in ferronickel (TNi). Later on, after full operations, the Haltim Ferronickel Plant will support the production of ferronickel from the Kolaka Ferronickel Plant in Southeast Sulawesi, which has a capacity of 27,000 TNi.

This will make ANTAM’s installed ferronickel production portfolio of 40,500 TNi. Eventually, the Haltim Ferronickel Plant will be supported by various main production facilities, such as the Rotary Dryer with a capacity of 170 tons per hour, the Kiln Rotary with a capacity of 165 tons per hour, the Electric Smelting Furnace with a capacity of 60 MW, as well as other production supporting facilities.