Jakarta, February 9, 2015 - PT ANTAM (Persero) Tbk (ASX - ATM; IDX - ANTM; ANTAM) is pleased to announce Indonesia's first Chemical Grade Alumina (CGA) plant, located in Tayan, West Kalimantan, has commenced commercial operations. The commercial operations of the Tayan CGA plant mark ANTAM's significant milestone in product diversification as well as the company's strategic initiative to deliver higher returns to mitigate the impact from the government's ore export ban policy.
ANTAM's President Director, Tato Miraza, said,
"The commercial operations of the Tayan CGA plant enlarge our portfolio of downstream products consisting of nickel, gold, silver, coal and alumina. The operations also reflect our commitment to deliver added value projects to our stakeholders. As well, the commencement of the plant's operations will ensure the creation of multiplier effects, both directly and indirectly, and benefiting the local economy of Tayan and nearby areas."
Construction of the Tayan CGA plant started on April 11, 2011 with commissioning phase commenced on October 28, 2013. Following the commencement of the commercial operations, the utilization of the plant will be gradually increased to ensure safety and operations stability. The Tayan CGA plant is operated by PT Indonesia Chemical Alumina, a jointly controlled entity between ANTAM and Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) of Japan. ANTAM owns 80% shares of PT ICA and SDK holds the remaining 20%.
The CGA products will be exported as well as sold to the Indonesian domestic market. The chemical grade alumina produced by PT ICA will be widely applied in the production of functional materials and electronic materials such as refractories, abrasives, building materials, IC packaging, and materials for LCD glass.
