PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminum (Inalum) is optimistic that the National Strategic Project of Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery (SGAR) Mempawah will operate by the end of 2024.

The Mempawah smelter became one of the National Strategic Projects in December 2023 as it is expected to help achieve the bauxite-aluminium downstream policy initiated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Inalum Corporate Secretary Mahyaruddin Ende hopes that everything goes according to plan and continues to get support from all stakeholders.

"As a state-owned entity that is part of the Indonesian Mining Industry Holding, Inalum is optimistic that SGAR Mempawah can operate between the second semester of 2024 and 2025," Mahyaruddin said in a written statement on Thursday (15/2)

The Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery in Mempawah is a strategic project run collaboratively by Inalum and PT Antam Tbk through a subsidiary, PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia (BAI).

The construction of the Mempawah Smelter has reached over 80 percent and is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

The Mempawah smelter project will connect the supply chain between bauxite ore minerals (West Kalimantan) and aluminum smelting plants (Inalum). Once in operation, the project expects to produce 1 million tons of alumina per year (raw material 3.3 million tons of bauxite per year).

"It is planned to start production in 2024 and reach full production capacity in 2025," he explained.

The Mempawah smelter project is divided into phases I and II, with an estimated investment value of around USD 1.7 billion or IDR 26.52 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of IDR 15,600 per US dollar).

Image source: CNN Indonesia / Inalum
Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20240215191155-85-1063239/inalum-kejar-smelter-alumina-mempawah-beroperasi-akhir-2024