Indonesian miner PT Amman Mineral Industri (Amin) expects its new copper smelter in West Nusa Tenggara to begin producing copper cathodes in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The smelter will process concentrate from Amin's Batu Hijau mine and the future Elang mine, producing refined copper and sulfuric acid. Commissioning began in June and is expected to take several months to complete.
The Batu Hijau mine is nearing depletion, but the Elang mine is slated for development in 2027 to take its place. Amin is also expanding the Batu Hijau mine's lifespan with an eighth stage that will add ore reserves and extend production to 2030.
Amin's smelter startup coincides with that of Freeport Indonesia's Manyar smelter, expected to be operational by year-end and produce 600,000 mt/year of copper cathodes.
