PT Bukaka Teknik Utama Tbk (BUKK) is increasingly serious about working on a nickel smelter project through its subsidiary PT Bumi Mineral Sulawesi. Bukaka Teknik Utama Finance Director Afifuddin Kalla revealed that his party is currently building two nickel smelter factories in Palopo, South Sulawesi. The two plants consist of a ferronickel (FeNi) plant with a capacity of 34 thousand tonnes per year and a nickel sulfate plant with a capacity of 31,400 tonnes per year using the Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) and High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) technology.
"For the Commercial Operation Date (COD) schedule, it is likely that the FeNi factory will be operational at the end of this year in November. The second factory will be COD in the first quarter of 2024," Afifuddin said at the Public Expose, Wednesday (17/5). Afifuddin continued, in 2024 his party would continue to develop the nickel sulfate factory for phase II. Phase II development includes four nickel sulfate plants with a capacity of 31,400 tons per year each. "We see nickel as a resource in Sulawesi that can be utilized. We want to become a nickel player in Sulawesi, which has 100% national ownership," explained Afifuddin. Afifuddin continued, companies will target a number of markets, including the United States, the European Union and Japan.
According to him, domestic smelter products are currently facing challenges to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) policy. "We are sure that with a composition like this we can enter and supply it to the American market which needs nickel which is greener and also the way it is made can reduce CO2 as much as possible," explained Afifuddin. Afifuddin revealed that the processing facility's electricity needs will be supplied from new renewable energy generators.
