PT Freeport Indonesia plans to export 2.3 million tonnes of copper concentrate this year. PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) President Director Tony Wenas said the export plan contained in the company's work plan and budget (RKAB) had been approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). Meanwhile, the 2023 export plan is higher than the export quota given throughout 2022 at the level of 2 million tonnes.
"In our RKAB in 2023, which has been approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, includes exports of 2.3 million tons of concentrate," Tony said during a hearing (RDP) with Commission VII at the Indonesian Parliament, Jakarta, Monday (6/2/2023).
Nevertheless, Tony stressed, the export quota recommendation was still awaiting verification of the progress of the construction of a copper concentrate smelter in the JIIPE Special Economic Zone (KEK), Gresik, East Java as a condition for submitting an extension of an export permit to the Ministry of Trade. Meanwhile, the team of independent verifiers is currently still conducting an assessment related to the progress of the smelter construction for the period August 2022 to January 2023. The plan is for the verification results to be completed in the third week of this month.
"Right now it is being verified by an independent verifier, once the second or third week of this month is completed, we will immediately submit an export approval application for the next period," he said. Work on PTFI's second copper concentrate smelter at JIIPE had reached 51.7 percent earlier this year. PTFI targets the construction of the smelter to be completed in December 2023. The smelter with a processing capacity of 1.7 million dry metric tons (dmt) has absorbed an investment of US$1.63 billion or the equivalent of IDR 24.25 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of IDR 14,883 per US$). On the other hand, PTFI projects that the total cost of the new smelter and smelter expansion in the special economic zone can reach IDR 3 billion or around IDR 44.64 trillion.
