PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) aims to reclaim approximately 920 hectares of the Grasberg mine, which has been inactive since April 2020. The company, which is part of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Mining Industry Holding, has allocated USD 200,000 per hectare for the reclamation process.
Sena Indra Wiraguna, Manager of Grasberg Surface Mine Engineering at PT Freeport Indonesia, stated that the company has set aside approximately USD 200,000 per hectare for reclamation. This amount is an average, as the cost per hectare varies.
"Some are USD 180,000, some are USD 250,000. So, USD 200,000 is the average," Sena explained during a visit to the Grasberg mine in Tembagapura, Timika, Papua, on Tuesday (10/12/2024).
Sena explained that the company has developed a reclamation plan for the 920 hectares of Grasberg mine, which is expected to be completed by 2041. The reclamation targets are submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) every five years.
As of this year, Freeport has already completed reclamation on approximately 570 hectares. "We’ve reclaimed around 570 hectares, which is more than 60% of the 920 hectares," Sena explained.
In fact, Sena mentioned, the company has an annual reclamation target over five-year periods, which is submitted to the Ministry of ESDM. For example, this year, Freeport targeted 65 hectares of post-production reclamation.
"In 2025, we aim for 25 hectares, and in 2026, 35 hectares. This will conclude by 2026, after which we will submit another five-year reclamation plan," Sena added.
For context, the Grasberg mine has been operated by PT Freeport Indonesia since 1990 and was officially closed in April 2020.
According to Sena, during its 30 years of operation, the Grasberg mine produced 1.4 million tons of concentrate and removed 3.4 billion tons of overburden.
