President Joko Widodo inaugurated the nickel smelter processing plant or PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (PT GNI), a nickel smelter company located in North Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, Monday 27 December 2021.
The inauguration ceremony occurred at the Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (VDNI) Industrial Estate.
President Director of PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry, Wisma Bharuna said, GNI is committed to encouraging the acceleration of industrial downstreaming to provide added value to raw materials in Indonesia.
“One of our smelters which is ready to start production and will be inaugurated today by the honorable Mr. President Joko Widodo, is PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry, which is located in an integrated industrial area of 1,907 hectares, equipped with port facilities, which we are currently developing. in North Morowali Regency," explained Bharina in his remarks, Monday (27/12).
The existence of the industrial area aims to create inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
It is because the smelter industry can create many jobs, increase foreign exchange for exports of processed smelter products, contribute taxes to the state, create a multiplier economic effect in related areas, and no less important is the transfer of knowledge.
With a total investment value of around Rp42.9 trillion, GNI will operate a 24-line smelter, which adopts the Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace technology.
The GNI smelter will process raw material, namely nickel ore, into ferronickel with a grade of 10-12%, with a production capacity of 1,800,000 tons of ferronickel per year, which requires supply/consumption of nickel ore of 21,600,000 WMT per year.
From the existence of the Industrial Estate in North Morowali, since the construction phase of construction to date, PT GNI has absorbed around 5,200 local workers.
The absorption of labor will continue to increase, in order to achieve the adaptation of the business model, technology, and transfer of knowledge in Indonesia.
"God willing, if our project runs in its entirety, it will absorb around 60,000 local workers, with more than 90% of the need for Indonesian workers, who of course will occupy job positions from all levels to managerial staff in the smelter," continued Bharuna.
Supply stability both in terms of quality and quantity is key to the success of a smelter.
Therefore, one of the strategic steps that PT GNI has taken is to sign a preliminary agreement to regulate the cooperation plan between GNI and PT Aneka Tambang Tbk or ANTAM on May 6, 2021.
This collaboration includes joint ownership collaborations in GNI's smelters, nickel mines, and long-term nickel supplies.
"We believe that this initial collaboration will optimize the contribution of companies to the Indonesian government's downstream policy."
"In addition, the initial continuous collaboration spirit is expected to continue and have a positive impact on the smelter industry in Indonesia and the world," he explained (Mic)
This news can be seen in Metrosulteng.
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