Minister Bahlil inspects the concentrate processing plant in the Grasberg area

Investment Minister or Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia and his entourage inspect the concentrate processing plant in PT Freeport Indonesia's Grasberg area in Tembagapura, Mimika Regency, Papua on Tuesday (16/8).

During the visit, Minister Bahlil and his entourage saw firsthand the Elloco 09 locomotive carrying concentrate at "Grasberg Block Cave unloading station 601" which is located at "GBC Haulage 2760 Level".

"First of all, I was also surprised to see the technology being built, so it is also believed that many people do not understand in detail about the mining technology process used at Freeport, especially underground mining," Bahlil told Antara in Timika, Tuesday.

According to Bahlil, the technology built and used by PT Freeport is so extraordinary that it must have a positive collaboration with the Government of Indonesia to optimize the existing potential.

"Besides the extraordinary technology, it can be seen directly when in Grasberg it is like being abroad," he said.

He explained that the area was built by the children of the Republic of Indonesia, meaning that those who worked were not only foreigners (foreigners) but also domestic children, especially indigenous Papuans where technological transformation had taken place in a long time.

"So if this is good for the country, why not optimize it," he said again.

Previously, Minister Bahlil had released the departure of the Ajkwa ship transporting PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) copper concentrate from Amamapare Port, Mimika, Papua on Monday (15/8).

The ship's departure was part of the delivery of copper concentrate to the first copper smelter (smelter) built by PTFI and the Japanese Consortium in Gresik, East Java in 1996, which is currently managed by PT Smelting.

The departure of the Ajkwa as a feeder vessel carrying 8,600 tonnes of copper concentrate to be transferred to the deep-sea vessel Naziha, about 19 km from the pier. The Naziha ship will hold 26,500 tons of copper concentrate to be transported to PT Smelting, and is the 32nd concentrate delivery to PT Smelting that has been carried out since January 2022.

SOURCE: https://papua.antaranews.com/berita/688997/menteri-bahlil-review-pabrik-pengolahan-konsentrat-di-area-grasberg