Wide-ranging operations seek to benefit society

Indonesia, an archipelago rich in natural resources, has attracted many international contractors to engage in related businesses, including China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction, or NFC.

As one of China's pioneers in global business expansion, NFC has expanded its operations from project contracting in the early days to coordinating the development of project contracting and nonferrous mineral resource development.

By achieving synergistic advancement of these two core businesses, the company has established itself as a prominent multinational on the global stage.

NFC's operations extend to more than 40 countries and regions, including Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Greece and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its overseas portfolio spans the entire industry chain for nonferrous metals. It encompasses business consulting, mineral exploration, industrial design, international project contracting, research and development, investment, mining, processing, and equipment manufacturing.

For several years in a row, NFC has been ranked among the Top 250 International Contractors by Engineering News-Record, a leading construction industry publication based in the United States. It has also been consistently selected as one of the Fortune China 500 companies by fortunechina.com.

The company's projects have earned a slew of accolades over the years. These include the National Quality Engineering Award, International Engineering Demonstration Campsite, ministerial-level China Nonferrous Metals Industry Quality Engineering Award, provincial- and ministerial-level China Nonferrous Metals Geological Prospecting Achievement Award, and Demonstration Project for Green Supply Chain Management of International Engineering.

Business activities

In 2018, NFC acquired a 51 percent stake in Indonesian mining company PT Dairi Prima Mineral, with the remaining 49 percent held by Indonesia-based PT Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk. NFC also serves as the engineering procurement construction, or EPC, contractor for PT Dairi Prima Mineral's lead-zinc mine project, designed to process 1 million metric tons of ores every year.

In 2021, after extensive discussions and negotiations, NFC won the bid for an EPC contract with PT Amman Mineral Internasional Tbk to build Indonesia's second copper smelter. Located on the island of Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara province, the project is the world's seventh copper smelting project to adopt the flash smelting plus flash converting, or "double flash", technology. It is also the second operational copper smelting facility in Indonesia.

Despite challenges such as underdeveloped infrastructure and harsh weather, the Chinese construction team completed the copper smelter in a record 28 months, from the first pile foundation to the running of the smelter.

The facility is designed to process 900,000 tons of copper concentrate annually and produce 220,000 tons of cathode copper, 850,000 tons of sulfuric acid, and rare and precious metals including 17.8 tons of gold and 56 tons of silver. This makes it Indonesia's second-largest modern copper smelter by capacity. The largest one is under construction.

On March 25, the facility produced its first batch of anode copper plates, marking the full operation of the pyrometallurgical copper smelting process. This achievement laid a foundation for the commissioning of an electrolysis plant. The operation of the smelter has filled a technological gap in Indonesia's copper smelting industry, fulfilling the need for upgrades of the local copper industry chain.

In 2024, NFC signed a contract to expand Amman Mineral's copper concentrator plant. The expansion project will add a 60-million-ton-per-year concentrator plant to complement the existing 40-million-ton facility. Once completed, the total annual processing capacity of the Amman concentrator plant will reach 100 million tons, making it the largest of its kind in Indonesia.

As a leading international contractor and supporter of the Belt and Road Initiative, NFC will continue to leverage advanced technologies to build benchmark projects that benefit both itself and its partners, according to the company.

Social responsibilities

Since its foundation, NFC has adhered to the business philosophy of "sincerity, integrity, mutual understanding, mutual trust and win-win cooperation", fulfilling its social responsibilities with concrete actions.

Since entering Indonesia, NFC has invested $241 million in the country, procured $473 million in goods and services, paid $50.15 million in taxes and created more than 12,000 jobs, contributing to the local economy and the improvement of people's lives.

Meanwhile, the company offers goods and facilities through donations or sponsorships in Indonesia each year to support local communities in the areas of culture, education, healthcare and economic development.

Environmental protection is another priority for NFC, which has integrated the concept of green development into mineral resource planning, exploration, development, utilization and protection. By the end of 2024, NFC-controlled PT Dairi Prima Mineral had planted 217,000 mangrove seedlings in North Sumatra province, cultivating 60 hectares of new forest.

In the meantime, the company is formulating and continuously improving environmental monitoring plans, and regularly conducts environmental assessments around the Dairi mine, advancing its transformation into a "green, safe and intelligent" facility.

As NFC continues to enhance its capabilities, it remains dedicated to contributing to society through responsible practices, the company emphasized.

huyuyan@chinadaily.com.cn