Indonesian state-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) has commenced the initial stage of operation at the Haltim Ferronickel Plant in North Maluku by starting the burner-on or furnace heating process on 7 July.
Once the burner-on process is completed, Antam will continue with the switch-on phase at the furnace at the Haltim ferronickel plant.
Located in East Halmahera, the plant will have the capacity to produce 13,500 tonnes of nickel in ferronickel (TNi).
Once fully operational, the plant will support ferronickel production from the Kolaka ferronickel plant in south-east Sulawesi with a 27,000TNi capacity.
This will bring Antam’s total installed production capacity portfolio of ferronickel to 40,500TNi.
Antam business development director I Dewa Wirantaya said: “Following Antam’s commitment to focus on the completion of the company’s strategic projects in 2023, the Haltim Ferronickel Plant is entering the initial stage of the commissioning series marked by the burner-on.
“The East Halmahera Ferronickel Plant Development Project is one of the realisations of mineral down-streaming carried out by Antam in order to support the strengthening of the mineral industry in Indonesia. We hope that the plant’s commissioning will run smoothly to immediately provide benefits to the company, the nation and the state.”
In May 2023, Antam, its subsidiary PT International Mineral Capital, and Hong Kong CBL signed a conditional share purchase agreement for partial ownership in Feni Haltim for the development of an integrated electric vehicle battery ecosystem industrial park area in East Halmahera, North Maluku.
The agreement also includes scope for the expansion of the port and other infrastructure to support the project.
