Mifa launches second coal shipment trial

Coal miner PT Mifa Bersaudara started a second coal shipment trial from West Aceh to India on Wednesday, following the first trial held on Monday.

Head of Aceh investment promotion board, Iskandar was quoted by Bisnis.com as saying that in the first shipment trial, Mifa shipped 55,000 tons of coal to India using the Emerald Star ship. He added that a third shipment trial is scheduled to for February 19-29, and a full export expected in March.

Mifa, which is an indirect subsidiary of IDX-listed PT ABM Investama Tbk, operates a coal concession in Aceh with a mine life of about 30 years. The company last year completed a number of infrastructure facilities including a port.

This portal reported in November that PT Media Djaya Bersama, which owns coal concessions of PT Mifa Bersaudara and PT Bara Energi Lestari, develops the largest coal project in Aceh. It will produce 5 to 7 million tons of coal this year. Target markets include India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

The company will build overland conveyor above the existing coal hauling road if the production is stable and coal market condition improves. The conveyor is expected to ramp up the coal production to 15 million tons per year. The Mifa project is only 12 kilometers away from the coast of the Indian Ocean. (*)