Bahtera Adiguna to invest Rp160 billion to purchase tugs and barges

By Edi Junaedi

Shipping company, PT Pelayaran Bahtera Adiguna (PBA), a subsidiary of state-owned utility company PT PLN said that it would invest Rp160 billion to procure five units of tugs and barges this year as part of the company?s efforts to deliver more coal to PLN.

?The ships would supply coal to the coal-fired power plants. It (the purchasing of new ships) is now under bidding process,? President Director of PBA Bima Putrajaya told Petromindo.com.

The company also plans to develop the so-called unloader vessels with expected loading capacity reaching 1,500 tons per hour. An unloader vessel of 17,000 DWT will operate this year and another of 11,000 DWT would operate in 2013.

?We would make study at shipyards in Korea, Japan and China. We will open international tender to design unloader vessels,? he said without elaborating on the budget set aside for the two ships.

Editing by Adianto P. Simamora