PKN delays commissioning of coal upgrading facility

By Cepi Setiadi

Coal mining company PT Pesona Khatulistiwa Nusantara (PKN) stated that the commissioning of its coal upgrading facility in Sekayan, North Kalimantan, has been slightly delayed from the initial schedule of February to April 2016.

President Director, Jeffrey Mulyono told Petromindo.com on Monday that there are several obstacles for the commissioning of the upgrading facility. ?There are several problems,? he said.

?There are new licensing procedures (issued by) the new government of North Kalimantan that we should comply with,? he said, adding that several spare parts also have to be up graded. ?We expect to have the commissioning by April 15, 2016,? he said.

The coal upgrading facility will require input of 1.2 million tons of 3,200 kcal/kg of low rank coal per year to produce 700,000 tons per year of coal with calorific value of 5,000 kcal/kg. PKN teams up with PT ZJG Resources Technology in building the coal upgrading plant and also involves Chinese investor to develop the coal upgrading technology.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak