Jakarta. Freeport Indonesia CEO Tony Wenas said Indonesia’s mining products -- especially copper -- will play a critical role in accelerating national economic growth, as the global clean energy transition drives demand for strategic minerals.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Investor Daily Summit 2025 in Jakarta on Wednesday, Tony said the country’s vast mineral wealth positions it strongly to benefit from the global push for renewable energy infrastructure.

“Indonesia has abundant mineral resources -- nickel, copper, coal, and bauxite,” he said. “These minerals are in high demand as countries race to build renewable power plants, which all require base metals, especially copper.”

Tony added that the growing demand for copper and other minerals will make the mining sector a key engine of Indonesia’s long-term economic expansion.

“The prospects for copper and other minerals are very strong. They will play a vital role in supporting and accelerating Indonesia’s economic growth,” he said.

Beyond driving growth, Tony said the mining sector also helps reduce regional inequality, as most of Indonesia’s mining operations are located outside the densely populated island of Java.

“What’s important is ensuring good governance and boosting productivity so that mining delivers a broad multiplier effect for local communities,” he said.

Freeport Indonesia operates one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines in Papua, with annual production reaching about 900,000 tons of copper cathode and 50 tons of gold from its newly built smelter in Gresik, East Java.

The Indonesian government, which currently holds a 51 percent stake in Freeport Indonesia, is in talks to acquire an additional 12 percent following a planned divestment by US-based mining company Freeport-McMoRan.