Antam needs 800 tons of coal for new smelting project

By Hisky Darmayana

State owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) will need between 700,000 tons and 800,000 tons of coal for the power plant to be operated to support the company?s new ferronickel smelting plant in East Halmahera.

Irvan Djauhari, Antam?s director for the operations and construction, said that about 70 percent of the coal needs would be supplied by PT Adaro Energy and PT Indonesia Coal Resources (ICR).

?Adaro has pledged to supply 50 percent and ICR about 20 percent. Now, we are still seeking for the supply of the other 30 percent,? he told Petromindo.com on the sideline of the Asia Nickel Conference in Nusa Dua, Bali on Thursday.

Irvan said that the coal would be used by a coal-fired power plant with a capacity of 70 megawatt to be built to support the operation of the new ferronickel smelter, which will produce ferronickel with a capacity of 27,000 tons a year.

He said that Antam is now still preparing the land for the smelter which was expected to begin commercial operation in 2015. After the operation, the capacity would be increased to 40,000 tons a year

Editing by Adianto P. Simamora