On March 16, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the nickel smelting process equipment upgrade project at PT Jinchuan WP Indonesia, undertaken by China ENFI Engineering Corporation as the EPC contractor, on Obi Island, North Maluku Province, Indonesia.
PT Jinchuan WP Indonesia utilizes the RKEF process to treat laterite nickel ore for ferronickel production, operating four 33MVA electric furnace production lines. Upon completion of this upgrade, ferronickel output is expected to increase by approximately 20%. In recent years, the project has faced challenges such as declining raw ore quality and increasingly complex feedstock composition year by year, leading to insufficient drying capacity, growing difficulties in operating the sealed ferronickel electric furnaces, and rising pressure on production efficiency and cost control. This upgrade, focusing on technological empowerment and green transformation, aims to address these issues through measures including upgrading electric furnaces, expanding drying kiln capacity, and optimizing the overall equipment layout, thereby comprehensively enhancing system efficiency and economic performance.
Written by Cora Ji, jiruyan@mysteel.com
