The Ministry of Industry is trying to maintain the availability of industrial salt to support production activities in the pulp and paper industry sector. Through this effort, it is hoped that the performance of the pulp and paper industry will increasingly contribute significantly to the national economy. The Director General of Agro Industry of the Ministry of Industry, Putu Juli Ardika explained that industrial salt is used in Chlor-Alkali CAP to produce chlorine, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and hydrogen through the electrolysis process of salt solutions.
“These basic chemical products are an important part of the bleaching process, breaking down wood fibers, controlling pH, to the formation of final products in the pulp and paper industry,” said Putu in his statement in Jakarta, Thursday (26/6).
Based on February 2025 data, the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia recorded an export value of US$ 8.09 billion or IDR 131.05 trillion (exchange rate of IDR 16,200. In detail, the pulp industry contributed US$ 3.56 billion, while the paper industry reached US$ 4.44 billion.
“This positive performance also contributes to the provision of employment, with direct employment of 288 thousand people and indirect employment of around 1.2 million people,” he said.
On a separate occasion, the Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association (APKI) conveyed the need for government support to fulfill industrial salt which is very important for the pulp and paper industry. APKI hopes that the government can facilitate these needs in order to support the sustainability and growth of the industry.
“Industrial salt is not just an auxiliary material, but a vital component in the production process in the pulp and paper sector. This need cannot be fully met domestically because of the very strict technical specifications,” said APKI Deputy Chairman Irsyal Yasman.
Furthermore, Irsyal said, on average The industrial salt requirement for the pulp and paper industry is 760 thousand tons per year with an average specification of a minimum sodium chloride content of 97%, a maximum water content of 2.5%, a maximum calcium of 0.045%, and a maximum magnesium of 0.026%.
“Unfortunately, currently domestic supply has not been able to meet these needs consistently, both in terms of quality and quantity,” he said.
June 26, 2025, detikFinance(https://finance.detik.com/berita-ekonomi-bisnis/d-7982950/ekspor-produk-pulp-paper-ri-tembus-rp-131-triliun)