New coal port to be developed in C. Kalimantan

A new coal port will be developed in Batanjung, Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan Province, which will be linked with a planned coal railway.

Deputy for Infrastructure Sector at the National Development and Planning Agency (Bappenas), Deddy Priatna was quoted as saying Friday that the project is currently at the tender stage.

He said that the coal port project will be linked to a planned 480 Km coal railway project, which will connect coal producing regions in the province including Murung Raya Regency, North Barito, South Barito, and Kapuas Regency.

Deddy, however, said the coal railway project, which was first hatched during the previous administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is now being reviewed to accommodate the direction from the new President Joko Widodo who wants the railway project to also transport passengers.

A number of companies have expressed interest in developing the railway project, which will be guaranteed by the state-owned PT Infrastruktur Penjaminan Indonesia (PII). The latter last year issued a report saying that only about 295 Km of the coal railway project, linking Puruk Cahu and Bangkuang, is economically feasible.

But Central Kalimantan Governor A. Teras Narang insisted that the railway project must be developed all the way to reach Batanjung, stretching the railway length to 480 Km. (*)