REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GRESIK -- PT Freeport Indonesia confirmed that the fire that occurred at the smelter of Gresik Special Economic Area, East Java, on Monday (14/10/2024), at 17.45 WIB, did not have a negative impact on public health and the environment.

“This incident did not result in a negative impact on public health and the surrounding environment,” said President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia Tony Wenas in Gresik, East Java, on Tuesday (15/10/2024).

Tony made sure the fire that was precisely located at the Clean Gas Separation Facility was successfully extinguished and that employees were safe and that no injuries were reported. The Clean Gas Separation Facility itself functions, among other things, as a series of processes that purify exhaust gases from harmful substances such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) so that the discharged air is free of harmful gas contamination.

The facility also provides clean gas for the conversion process to sulfuric acid, preventing corrosion and damage to equipment due to corrosive gases.

“In general, this Clean Gas Separation facility plays an important role for environmentally friendly operations,” Tony said.

Tony explained that PTFI had carried out all the commissioning phases at the beginning of this year including running several testing phases and had already gone through the trial and error phase for several months starting in June.

“But this is indeed a disaster. We are re-reviewing the whole process so that it does not repeat itself in the whole smelter area," he said.

Therefore, PTFI will immediately conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire and an assessment of the damage that occurs after the area is safe to enter.

PTFI will continue to work with Chiyoda as Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contractor to review everything in detail involving experts from both PTFI, Freeport-McMoRan and several consultants.

“Many thanks to the Gresik Government, Surabaya Municipality, Jatim Province, all security forces, JIIPE, Gresik Petrochemicals, Maspion Industrial Area, as well as all parties who have helped to deal with this fire,” Tony said.

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