New Bara Blasting plant challenges national explosives duopoly

By Rikordias Siahaan

PT Bara Blasting Perkasa, a new entrant in Indonesia’s explosives market, has commissioned an emulsion cartridge plant in Sanga-Sanga, East Kalimantan, with a single-shift capacity of 1,200 metric tons per year, company executives announced at the Indonesian Blasting Engineers Society conference.

The facility—only the second of its kind in the country after state-owned PT Dahana—uses “Powermite Pro” technology licensed from global explosives giant Dyno Nobel and will undergo audits every six months by the licensor, according to Commercial Manager Hendry Silang. The product’s velocity of detonation is rated at 5,200 m/s, comparable to imported alternatives, he added.

Indonesia’s surface-mining sector consumes approximately 180,000 metric tons of packaged explosives annually, with about two-thirds still imported, according to industry estimates. Bara Blasting’s entry “supports the government’s push to curb imports and reduce logistics costs for Kalimantan coal miners,” Silang said.

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Located less than 100 kilometers from several major mining sites, the plant will cut haulage times to “hours, not days,” he noted.

While state-owned Dahana dominates domestic cartridge supply, it must ship from West Java. Meanwhile, Orica and Dyno Nobel primarily import finished products. Bara Blasting plans to price its products “5–7% below landed imports,” according to two buyers familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to ongoing negotiations.

The company will conduct qualification blasts with coal clients in the third quarter and aims to reach full nameplate capacity by early 2026. It is also evaluating a dual-shift operation that could double output to 2,400 metric tons per year if demand supports expansion.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak