Pupuk Kaltim's fertilizer production exceeds targets

JAKARTA (JP): The East Kalimantan-based PT Pupuk Kaltim's ammonia and urea fertilizer production last year exceeded initial targets, the company's president said yesterday.

Syaiful Amir said in Bontang that ammonia production reached 1.5 million tons, an increase of 111.60 percent over the original target of 1.3 million tons. Urea fertilizer output was 1.8 million, just above the initial target of 1.7 million tons.

"These are the highest production records (that) have ever been achieved by Pupuk Kaltim since it began production in Bontang back in 1984," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Syaiful said the target on the ammonia production was achieved late November last year, and the urea-based production was realized last month.

Pupuk Kaltim planned, as part of its expansion program, to open several plants to produce its main products of ammonia and urea fertilizer, and side products such as melamine, hexamine and ammonium carbonate, he said.

The company began the construction of the fourth urea plant, expected to have a production capacity of 570,000 a year, last month and would start production in 2000, said Syaiful, adding that his company also planned to build another plant later this year in Bontang to make urea and ammonia.

"The completion of those plants will make Pupuk Kaltim the biggest urea fertilizer producer in the country, with a total production of three million tons a year," he said.

Pupuk Kaltim had also expanded its ammonia production by building, in cooperation with private firms, two ammonia plants with production capacities of 1.2 million tons a year. These would open by 2000, he said.

Touching upon the company's side products, he said his company had started operating four plants last year, each of which would produce 50,000 tons of melamine, 3,000 tons of hexamine, 10,000 tons of ammonium carbonate and 14,400 tons of UF-Resin yearly.

Syaiful said next year Pupuk Kaltim would also open a plant capable of producing 150,000 tons of soda ash per annum. (04)