[Ferro-Alloys.com] PT ANTAM (Persero) TBk (IDX: ANTM; ASX: ATM; ANTAM) is pleased to announced that it has switched on the Electric Smelting Furnace No. 2 (ESF No. 2) following repair of its transformer unit. ANTAM switched on ESF No. 2 today at the Southeast Sulawesi Nickel Mining Business Unit in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi.

 

ANTAM's President Director, Tedy Badrujaman said,

' The operation of Electric Smelting Furnace No. 2 will support the ferronickel production in meeting the 2016 target of 20,000 tons of nickel contained in ferronickel (TNi). In terms of our nickel business expansion, we are also finalizing the completion of the Pomalaa Ferronickel Plant Expansion Project, which will increase the ferronickel production capacity to 27,000 - 30,000 TNi from the existing capacity of 18,000 - 20,000 TNi. '

 

Following the switch on, ANTAM will gradually ramp up the load of the to ensure the operations safety and stability. The ramp up period is expected to take 45 days to complete with the first metal tapping to occur in early June 2016.

 

ANTAM currently operates three electric smelting furnaces with a production target of 20,000 TNi in 2016. The operations of Electric Smelting Furnace No. 1 was shut down in 2013 inline with construction of Electric Smelting Furnace No. 4. ANTAM also continues the construction of a ferronickel plant in East Halmahera through the Haltim Ferronickel Plant Development Project (P3FH). The Line-1 Stage 1 of the project has a ferronickel production 

 

Article from Internet for Reference