Australian Company to Build Smelter in Indonesia
23 December 2013 15:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Belu - An Australian-based company Asia Mangan Grup, expressed its interest to develop a manganese smelter (refining plant) in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara, located between Indonesia and East Timor.
"This is going to be the first smelter that is going to be built in Indonesia," said Sukiar, Director General of Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on Sunday, December 22, 2013.
Sukiar explained that the construction of the smelter is the government's attempt to curb raw mineral and coal exports.
Total investment value of smelter development in the next three years has reached US$150 million. In addition to construction of eight refinery processing units, the fund will also be used to build a 72 megawatt power plant.
Sukiar claimed that Asia Mangan Group has expressed its committment on maintaining and preserving the environment and ecosystem around the plant.
"We will also develop health centers, agriculture and provide university scholarships," he said.
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