Indonesia’s state tin company PT Timah aims to boost its tin production to 40,000 – 42,000 tonnes this year, corporate secretary Abrun Abubakar told the Jakarta Post. The company has not yet officially released final 2011 production data, with estimates ranging from 33,000 – 37,000 tonnes.
Timah is planning to build five small cutter suction dredges to add to the 10 it already owns. In addition another 30 or so cutter suction dredges are operated by contractors within its offshore mining leases. According to Abrun, Timah will require about Rp 30 billion to 35 billion (approximately US$ 3.5 million) for each cutter-suction dredge.
A larger scale US$100 million investment in two large bucket wheel dredges, which could be in operation by 2014, is also planned. “We will soon open the bidding for the design works to interested parties, both local and foreign BWD producers,” said Abrun. In adddtion Timah is considering converting some of its 11 old bucket ladder dredges – of which only 7 are currently operating – to the new technology.
