Coal producers expect to up output by 22.6 MT this year
Tuesday, June 6 2006 - 05:24 AM WIB
PT Adaro Indonesia and PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) will produce about 33 million tons and 34 million tons in 2006, respectively, significantly higher compared to 26 million tons and 27.5 million tons last year. Adaro has upgraded its infrastructure facilities, which will enable it to produce up to 38 million tons per year. Additional output from KPC will mainly come from its Bengalon mine.
Meanwhile, Banpu Indonesia and Tanito Group are expected to produce 17.9 million tons and 7 million tons respectively this year. Tanito?s coal production will include those from its newly developed Riau-based coalmine and the Mahakam Sumber Jaya?s mine.
PT Kideco Jaya Agung will increase its coal output to 19.1 million tons in 2006 as the company will use its new barge loader facility at its port. PT Berau Coal plans to produce 11 million tons this year, higher compared to its last year?s output of 9.5 million tons of coal.
South Kalimantan-based producer PT Arutmin Indonesia is currently upgrading its annual output capacity to 25 million tons. The company?s coal output is expected to reach 18 million tons this year, compared to 16.7 million tons last year.
Indonesian coal output will further increase in the coming years, driven by the government?s plan to build several coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 10,000 megawatt. An official at state electricity firm PT PLN estimated that all the power plants would need around 30 million tons of low-rank coal annually by 2010.
The government is also set to increase the contribution of coal to the nation's energy consumption to 32.7 percent in the future, from the current level of 15 percent.
Indonesia produced around 142 million tons of coal last year, of which around 93 million tons were exported. (alex)