PTBA to spend $135 million to expand Tarahan coal terminal
Thursday, March 22 2012 - 02:12 AM WIB
PTBA's Corporate Secretary Hananto Budi Laksono said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the funds needed for the port expansion would be taken from the company?s capital expenditures allocated for 2012 and 2013.
In the expansion program, PTBA would build two more rotary car dumpers (RCDs), new ship loader and new dock which can receive a capsize ship with capacity of 150,000 dead weight tons. At present, the Tarahan terminal has two units of RCDs.
?We hope the project can be completed next year,? Hananto said.
The expansion of the port is carried out to anticipate the increase in the transportation capacity of the railway linking the company?s coal mines in Tanjung Enim in South Sumatera and the coal terminal.
At present, PTBA and state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) cooperated to expand the capacity of the existing railway to enable the company to transport 156 million tons this year, and to 22.7 million tons in 2014.
In addition, through its subsidiary PT Bukit Asam Transpacific Railway, PTNBA will build a new railway connecting the company?s coal mines in South Sumatera and new port in Lampung. PTBA will team up with PT Transpacific Railway Infrastructure, a joint venture between Rajawali Corpora and China Railway Engineering Group to build the new railway.
?The project is now in the land acquisition stage,? Hananto said.
In addition, PTBA also plans to build another railroad linking Tanjung Enim and Tanjung Api-api port in cooperation with the South Sumatra administration and PT Adani Global. The new railroad which will enable PTBA to transport 35 million tons of coal a year is expected to begin operation in 2015. (*)