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Freeport halts production at new copper smelter after fire
PT Freeport Indonesia’s multibillion-dollar smelter in Gresik, East Java, was only inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo last month.
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PT Freeport Indonesia's copper smelter and refinery in Gresik, East Java, is pictured while still under construction on Feb. 29, 2024. (JP/Divya Karyza)
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T Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has temporarily halted operations at its new copper smelter in Gresik, East Java, following a fire on Monday.
The fire broke out at the smelter’s gas cleaning plant around 5:45 p.m. and was fully extinguished several hours later, according to the gold and copper mining company.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
Katri Krisnati, vice president corporate communications at PTFI, said an assessment would be conducted to determine the extent of the damage and the cause of the incident, as well as any potential impact on plans to increase the smelter’s operational capacity.
“We thank all national and regional authorities, companies and the media, as well as everyone who assisted in the effort to extinguish the fire,” Katri told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The Gresik smelter, which is located in the Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate (JIIPE), was only inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Sept. 23.
It is the largest single-line copper smelter in the world, built with an investment of around US$3.7 billion.
