Bukit Asam to produce 12.7 mln tons of coal in 2001
Wednesday, December 20 2000 - 02:00 PM WIB
State coal mining company PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam aims to produce 12.7 million tons of coal in 2001, up from its 11.2-million-ton target this year.
Bukit Asam president RA Sunardi said his company's target was based on the 5.5 billion metric tons of coal deposits in Tanjung Enim subdistrict, Muara Enim district.
He said the company aims to increase its production further to 14.7 million tons in 2002 and 16.5 million tons in 2004.
Bukit Asam, he said, is also planning to help develop thermal power plants in Banjarsari and Bangko Tengah districts in South Sulawesi province as well as in Cerenti district in Riau province.
He predicted that coal would become a primary source of energy in the third millennium, considering that the supply of petroleum is limited while the price of liquid petroleum gas is too expensive.
The country's coal deposits are estimated to last for 250 years, Sunardi said. (*)