By Cepi Setiadi
PT Bara Energi Lestari (BEL), a coal mining firm operating in Aceh Province, is targeting a 33% increase in overburden removal—from 15 million bank cubic meters (BCM) to 20 million BCM—in the second half of 2025, according to the company’s Group Head of Operations, Rahmad Zahri.
The increase aligns with BEL’s plan to ramp up coal production from 3 million tons to 4 million tons during the same period.
“We are also targeting a rise in coal sales from the initial 3 million tons to 3.5 million tons,” Rahmad told Petromindo.com recently.
Rahmad added that the revised targets are expected to be formalized through a new performance objective agreement, which is scheduled for signing by the end of July 2025.
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The boost in production targets is partly driven by the availability of unused port capacity at Port Mifa. According to Rahmad, several permit holders (IUPs) in the Mifa area have not yet commenced operations, freeing up port slots that were offered to BEL.
“For now, the slot was offered to us, and we are ready to take the opportunity,” Rahmad said.
In the first half of 2025, BEL recorded coal production of 1,825,567 tons, against its full-year production target of 3,045,363 tons. Overburden removal reached 7,919,279 BCM, out of the annual target of 15,000,371 BCM.
Rahmad noted that first-half coal production exceeded expectations, reaching 105% of the semester target, largely due to favorable weather conditions.
“Actual rainfall was lower than planned, which helped improve productivity,” he said.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak
