PT Timah Tbk (TINS) targets to optimize the Ausmelt Furnace Muntok Smelter Top Submerge Lance (TSL) Project within the next three years. TINS Director of Business Development Alwin Albar revealed, the ausmelt project owned by TINS is the fifth project in the world to use ausmelt technology. Alwin revealed, the existence of this project was needed to overcome the exploration challenges currently being faced by TINS. According to him, so far the mining process that has been carried out is still an alluvial mine where the processing process can be carried out with the company's smelting furnace.

However, since the end of 2022, TINS has begun to find many primary mines in the form of rocks that require a different smelting process. "Today, 23% of our resources are in the form of rock at 900 thousand tons, almost 1 million tons," said Alwin at TINS Gallery, Monday (27/2). Alwin revealed, with the need for exploration in this primary mine, the presence of the Ausmelt project was urgently needed. Just so you know, the project with an investment value equivalent to IDR 1.2 trillion has a capacity of 40 thousand tons. The presence of this project is even claimed to create processing cost efficiencies of up to 25%. Director of Operations TINS Purwoko explained, the presence of the Ausmel project encouraged the company to increase production in stages to meet existing capacity requirements.

"In the Company's Long Term Plan (RJPP) approximately in the next three years it should reach 40 thousand tonnes," explained Purwoko on the same occasion. Purwoko continued, this year's tin ore production is targeted to increase by 35% or around 26 thousand tons. Later, for the first year stages, the utilization of the Ausmelt project is targeted at 55% then in the second year it reaches 65% and increases again in the third year. "We still have three years to pursue it," said Purwoko. Kontan noted, the construction of the TSL Ausmelt Furnace is Timah's strategy to respond to the challenges currently faced by the tin mining industry, particularly in maximizing low tin grade concentrates. With the TSL Ausmelt Furnace, it is expected to be able to process low grade tin ore concentrate starting from 40% Sn, with a production capacity of 40,000 tons of crude tin per year or 35,000 metric tons of ingots per year. Not only that, the TSL Ausmelt Furnace is claimed to be more environmentally friendly because it is equipped with a Hygienist System and Waste Water Treatment.

Source: https://industri.kontan.co.id/news/timah-tins-optimalisasi-proyek-ausmelt-dalam-tiga-tahun