The Covid-19 pandemic has not reduced interest in mining mineral products. The realization of production and sales, according to the records of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), until November 2020 is still as planned. The Director of Mineral Development and Business of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Yunus Saefulhak, said that some commodity numbers were still stable, some even exceeded the target. "Production has not decreased," said Yunus at the Indonesia Mining Outlook, Wednesday (16/12).
There are seven mining mineral products registered at the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal (Minerba). For copper cathodes, realization as of November was nearly 267 thousand tons or 91.7 percent of the target of 291,000 tons. Then, gold production reached 60.1 tonnes or 85.1% of the 2020 plan. Then, silver commodity has reached 305.2 tonnes or 89% of the target. Next, ferronickel production has reached 1.32 million tons or 101.9% of the target. Meanwhile, nickel pig iron (NPI) production reached 797.9 thousand tons, equivalent to 127 percent of the target, and nickel matte production was 85.2 thousand tons or 118.8 percent of the target. Meanwhile, the mineral commodity whose production per November is far from the target, namely tin.
The realization was 49.3 thousand tons or only 70.5 percent of the planned production of 70 thousand tons in 2020. In terms of sales, copper cathodes sold abroad, aka exports, reached 204.3 thousand tons or 102.1 percent of the target. Likewise, gold sales also exceeded the target, namely 39.6 tonnes (104.4%), and silver reaching 226.6 tonnes (124.3%). Tin sales until November reached nearly 60 thousand tons (81.3%). Then nickel matte 79.1 thousand tons or (108.8%) and the NPI 275.4 thousand tons (80.4%). Meanwhile, Ferronickel exports amounted to 1.13 million tons or 65.9% of the target. Yunus said the low ferronickel exports were due to the delay in operating schedule for PT Aneka Tambang (Persero) Tbk's refining plant or smelter in East Halmahera, North Maluku. "Because there is no electricity supply. This again needs compatibility between the smelter and the electricity industry, "he said.
For the realization of coal production, the figure is already close to the target. As of December 10, the realization was at 514.2 million tons. "It has reached 94% of the 2020 target," said Director of Coal Development and Business Sujatmiko last week. From this realization, 218.17 million tonnes were supplied to the export market. Meanwhile, 108.45 million tons are for domestic needs or DMO. The production target in 2021 is no different from this year. The ministry set the figure at 550 million tonnes. Sujatmiko argued that their consumption would still be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. "We are still considering (aspects of) the recovery, both for the domestic and export markets," he said.
