Djakarta Lloyd begins coal transportation this year

State owned shipping company Djakarta Lloyd has secured contracts from state owned electricity company PLN to transport coal for the latter?s power plants in Aceh and West Sumatra, Kontan reported Saturday.

Under the contracts signed in May, the shipping company would transport coal from the Tarahan coal terminal in Lampung to Meulaboh, Aceh Nanggroe Darusssalam and from the Tarahan port to West Sumatra.

Djakarta Lloyd?s President Director Syahril Japarin said that the shipping company would transport about450,000 tons a year from the Tarahan port to Aceh and about 100,000 tons a year from the Tarahan port to West Sumatra.

Syahril said he hoped the coal transportation contract would be able to revive the financial performance of the shipping company which has long suffered financial difficulties.

In addition to contracts from PLN, the shipping company also hoped it would soon obtain a contract to transport cement from PT Semen Gresik and to transport nickel ores from state owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang.

State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said recently that Djakarta Lloyd would lease a "handy max" ship with a capacity of 50,000 tons from Japan to ship PLN?s coal.(*)