Manyar Smelter Achieves Copper Mark Designation

July 27, 2026 - PT Freeport Indonesia’s new smelter in Manyar has attained the Copper Mark after demonstrating it meets global industry standards for protecting workers, the environment and affected communities.

With inclusion of the Manyar smelter, all Freeport operating sites have received the Copper Mark or its equivalent for molybdenum.

The milestone culminates a seven-month process, with the site being notified in June it had met the requirements. The designation covers the entire Manyar site, including metal refineries and other related facilities.

To earn the designation, the facility’s policies and practices were scrutinized by outside auditors to determine whether they complied with rigorous standards that address risk management, business integrity and responsible production. Beyond reviewing written policies, systems and site records, independent auditors spent a week on site in February interviewing management, employees, contractors and community representatives to validate conformance.

Demonstrating commitment

“The Copper Mark demonstrates PTFI's commitment to the responsible production framework,” said H-D Garz, Executive Vice President-Corporate Planning and Business Strategy at PTFI. “This is not just a ‘tick the box’ exercise. Copper Mark certification elevates our finished goods from both the copper electro refinery and precious metal refinery to products of choice when comparing to other similar products on the market.

“Our commitment to operating a massive industrial complex and domestically producing finished products in Gresik in a responsible manner enables us to do this in the most environmentally and socially responsible manner to benefit all stakeholders including the local community.”

The Copper Mark was launched in 2019 as a voluntary industry assurance standard that promotes responsible copper production. It is based on 33 criteria that cover a range of categories involving environmental, social and governance performance. Specific policies are required in areas such as labor practices, land and water stewardship, anti-corruption safeguards, biodiversity protection and greenhouse gas emission reductions.

The Copper Mark standards are aimed at promoting best practices across the value chain, from mine to market; and minimizing risk, whether it be legal, financial or reputational, said Andrea Boltz, Manager-Responsible Production and Sustainability Assurance.

Many customers, including automobile manufacturers and copper wire producers, are requesting the companies that supply them with copper obtain the Copper Mark, Boltz said.

Meeting the standards for the Copper Mark also helps enable Freeport to comply with separate but similar responsible copper production requirements to maintain approval on the London Metal Exchange.

Key to company strategy

“The Copper and Molybdenum Mark are a core component of Freeport’s strategy to demonstrate business value to our shareholders, customers and stakeholders globally regarding sustainability related risks,” said Andrea Vaccari, Vice President-Responsible Production and Sustainability.

Copper Mark certification is received by site. While Freeport’s other sites, including the PTFI Grasberg mine in Indonesia, already have the designation, the Manyar smelter was required to demonstrate compliance separately as the company’s newest facility.

The process of preparing to seek the Copper Mark began while the smelter was still in the planning stages, said Emily Muteb, Manager-Environmental and Sustainable Development.

Corporate policies such as Freeport’s Principles of Business Conduct were foundational, as were Indonesia-specific standards in place at Grasberg. Additional site-specific procedures also were written and documented for the smelter. The early planning proved beneficial as site policies were developed with the Copper Mark standards in mind, Muteb said.

“We got to integrate everything from the start,” Muteb said. “We already knew what the rule book was so we could build our business processes around it, instead of looking at the rule book and having to change our business processes.”

Operations at the Manyar smelter were curtailed in a state of “hot preservation” after a fatal mudslide at the Grasberg Block Cave in 2025 and it has operated on a limited basis since. It is planned to resume full operations later this year.

The separate smelter in nearby Gresik is not included in the Copper Mark designation. Freeport is part of the consortium, PT Smelting, that operates the smelter. However, it is not the operating partner.

Photos (top to bottom): A worker conducts matte tapping at the Manyar smelter in Indonesia before it was put in a state of “hot preservation” with curtailed operations last year. The smelter is planned to resume full operations later this year; the integrated cooling system, which protects the smelter furnace, is checked during a recent maintenance inspection at the Manyar smelter.