Kujang researching possibility of coal gasification

PT Pupuk Kujang has started a research cooperation with a Japanese institution to find out a formula of coal gasification to meet its need of natural gas as raw materials to produce fertilizers.

The company?s Public Relations Manager Ade Cahya said that his company was facing a decrease of gas supply and it needs the coal gasification as an alternative to meet its need of gas feedstocks.

?Currently, the gas supply for Kujang has been secured until the year 2017. But since 2012 its quota will be declining from 57 BBTUD to 53 BBTUD,? he was quoted by Bisnis Indonesia as saying on Tuesday.

Besides, he said, the gas consumption in its Kujang plant 1A has been increasing because it?s been in operation for more than 30 years. Its gas consumption right now has reached 34 MMBTU/ ton of urea, as compared to only 26 MMBTU/ ton Urea in its plant 1B, which is younger.

?So, due to a combination of decreasing supply in West Java, energy inefficiency in our plant, and the increase of gas prices, we decided to find a solution through the coal gasification,? he said. (*)