Bukit Asam to begin coal gasification projects
Monday, February 28 2011 - 02:33 AM WIB
Tony Tanduk, the director of basic chemicals at the industry ministry, said in Jakarta over the weekend that the construction of the two gasification plants would be carried out soon after the feasibility study was completed in April.
Both gasification plants would produce gas and methanol.
He said gas from the coal gasification plants would be supplied to state owned fertilizer producer PT Pusri which would use it to support its fertilizer production.
Tony said that a number of foreign investors from the Middle East and Europe had expressed interest to take part in the gasification projects especially those related to the production of methanol from low-calorie coal.
PTBA president director Sukrisno said that the company would supply the coal to methanol gasification plant from the company?s coal concession area in Pranap, Riau. According to him, the coal which will be used for the methanol production will have a calorie of between 4,000 and 5,000 kcal per kg.
?For a 1.7 million tons production of methanol, the plant will need abut 6 million tons of low-calorie coal,? he said, adding that the methanol would be sold to Pertamina. (*)