BLACK & VEATCH TO DELIVER SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANT IN INDONESIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- Black & Veatch has been appointed by PT Freeport Indonesia to design and manage the delivery of a seawater desalination plant for its Manyar Smelter in East Java, Indonesia, as part of its sustainable development commitments.

The United States-based engineering firm said the seawater desalination plant will support the processing of mine concentrates from the Grasberg mine in West Papua.

“The new domestic copper smelter and refinery supports Indonesia’s downstreaming strategy to further refine the processed mine concentrates and brings additional economic value to the local community and Indonesia,” the company said in a statement.

The seawater desalination plant will be located adjacent to the Manyar Smelter Project and produce over 1,400 cubic metres of desalinated seawater per hour to support the copper smelter and precious metals refinery.

Its executive vice-president and managing director for Asia-Pacific, Narsingh Chaudhary, said the mining industry plays a critical role in the global shift to a decarbonised and sustainable future.

“Accessing water from the ocean saves freshwater resources for the local community and ecosystems and ensures a more sustainable, resilient and reliable water future. It also improves efficiencies and reduces operational risks and downtime that affect business profitability,” he added.

Black & Veatch, in collaboration with its joint operating agreement partner PT Wika, will perform the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning responsibilities for the seawater desalination plant.

Black & Veatch is a 100-per cent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure.

-- BERNAMA