RMK expands coal port in South Sumatra

By Tri Subhki R

PT RMK Energy, a coal logistics company, is expanding its coal port in South Sumatra Province by developing a third line of barge loading conveyor. The operating Line 1 and Line 2 barge loading conveyors serve 450,000 tons per month, or approximately 5 million tons per year.

?When Line 3 is completed, it can serve up to 900,000 tons per month. So, our coal port will be able to serve 1.35 million tons per month accumulatively,? RMK?s President Director Tony Saputra said to Petromindo.com recently.

Tony said that the Line 3 barge loading conveyor is designed with more advanced technology and can speed up the loading time for 8,000 DWT coal barge. If the Line 1 and Line 2 can finish coal loading for 12 hours for a coal barge, the new Line 3 which is equipped with double loading conveyors is expected to finish loading in only 4 hours for a barge.

RMK serves a number of coal mining companies in South Sumatra among others PT Bara Alam Utama (BAU) and PT Muara Alam Sejahtera (MAS). Recently, RMK already signed a new coal transport contract with PT Great Golden Borneo (GGB).

?Construction of the Line 3 is expected to be completed by February 2018,? Tony said.

For next year, Tony expects RMK will handle up to 9 million tons of coal compared to more than 5 million tons this year. ?As much as 6 million tons of coal comes via railway and another 3 million by trucking,? he said.

RMK, through its subsidiary mining permit (IUP) holder PT Gumay Prima Energi (GPE), also offers coal transport via railway in cooperation with PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI. It serves coal transport via railway for coal mines from Lahat to Prabumulih regencies to Simpang Station. The company unloads the coal at the station and brings the coal to the nearby RMK?s coal port before barges it to the vessel.

RMK is in progress of developing a new 8-kilometer railway from Simpang Station to the coal port. For immediate purpose, it is building two railways to park two coal trains due to the increasing demand for coal transport via railway. ?The new railways are expected to complete by February 2018,? Tony said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak