The Chinese metal processing giant, Tsingshan Group, has invested up to US$6 billion in the Morowali industrial estate in Central Sulawesi.
This substantial budget wasn't invested alone. According to the Ministry of Industry's website in 2018, Tsingshan Group partnered with Bintang Delapan Group in this investment.
Tsingshan's investment in the Morowali industrial estate aims to produce up to 3 million tons of stainless steel. Additionally, there are targets to produce 2 million tons of nickel pig iron (NPI) and 3.5 million tons of carbon steel per year.
The 3 million tons of stainless steel production will be handled by PT Indonesia Guang Ching Nickel and Stainless Steel Industry (GCNS) (1 million tons); PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) (1 million tons); and PT Sulawesi Mining Investment (SMI) (1 million tons). All three are part of the Tsingshan Group.
Tsingshan is a major player in the metal processing industry. The Ministry of Industry also stated that this large-scale project could establish Indonesia as a significant stainless steel producer in the global market.
"In fact, Indonesian stainless steel exported to China is considered a major competitor to domestic products in the Bamboo Curtain country," wrote the Ministry of Industry on its website.
Previously, PT ITSS, part of the Tsingshan Group, came under scrutiny after a nickel smelter explosion resulted in 19 worker deaths and dozens of injuries.
The explosion occurred in the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) area, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, on Sunday, December 24, 2023, at approximately 6:15 AM WITA.
PT ITSS is a legally registered mineral processing and stainless steel production company. They hold an operating permit from 2019 to 2049. The company's headquarters are located in Wisma Mulia Building, South Jakarta.
(See also: PT ITSS Responsible for Nickel Smelter Explosion, Majority Shares Owned by China)