PANGKALPINANG -- Indonesia plays an important role in providing the world's tin raw materials. Tin is one of the metals that the world needs for various industries, one of which is the hi-tech industry.
Tin is also used as a packaging material for food, a mixture of dental amalgam fillings as a substitute for mercury (Hg), bottle caps, as a flame retardant coating on electrical cables and household appliances, tin solder, light bulbs, a mixture of golf clubs and ammunition.
Tin, which contains rare earth metals, which are magnetic and conductive minerals, is widely used in electronic devices such as cellphones, tablets, speakers, etc.
Rare earth metals are also used in other sectors, ranging from health, automotive, and aviation, to the defense industry. Demand for rare earth will increase along with the massive trend of electric-based vehicles.
Seeing the use of tin, whether we realize it or not, tin has become part of our lives. For this reason, the Indonesian government even has a state company to manage natural tin resources, namely PT Timah Tbk.
PT Timah Tbk carries out offshore and onshore tin mining in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Riau Islands Province, and Riau Province.
As a non-renewable natural resource, tin is also increasingly limited. Moreover, it is known that tin mining is not only carried out by PT Timah Tbk but also by the community and companies.
To maintain the sustainability of tin reserves, tin management must be carried out wisely, the tin mining process must be carried out by applying mining rules that are in accordance with applicable regulations.
The government also realizes that tin mining must be managed well, for this reason, the government has made tin a critical mineral. These provisions are contained in the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Number 296.K/MB.01/MEM.B/2023 concerning Determining Types of Commodities Included in the Critical Mineral Classification.
PT Timah Tbk as an extension of the government in managing tin also continues to be committed to strengthening Indonesia's position as a world tin producer.
This member of the Indonesian mining industry holding MIND ID carries out tin mining in an integrated manner by applying good mining principles and carrying out sustainable environmental management.
PT Timah Tbk also continues to innovate to develop the latest mining technology, one of which is by presenting the TSL Ausmelt Furnace tin smelting technology which is capable of processing low-grade tin. Technological innovation is one form of PT Timah Tbk's efforts to answer the challenge of tin reserves which are starting to run low.
The government is currently encouraging the downstream of minerals in the country, this has also been done by PT Timah Tbk. Through its subsidiary, PT Timah Industri has downstream tin products such as tin solder and tin chemicals.
As a company that grows and develops together with the community in the company's operational areas, PT Timah Tbk also carries out environmental social responsibility to empower community groups.
PT Timah Tbk also distributes CSR to the community which is in line with the principles of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) which the company continues to develop.
TINS also consistently manages ex-mining land such as reclamation. The company carries out reclamation both on land and at sea.
Head of Corporate Communications at PT Timah Tbk, Anggi Siahaan, said that tin is a mineral of the future to support defense and future technological development.
"PT Timah Tbk continues to maximize its role in managing in natural resources as mandated by the state. Tin has an important role in supporting various industries," he said.(*)
