Sintang coal mining operation could produce up to 1 million tons per annum

Coal mining company PT Yamabhumi Palaka has started coal exploitation in Ketunggau Hulu and Ketunggau Tenggah districts in Sintang regency, West Kalimantan, with expected total output to reach one million tons of coal per annum, Kompas reported on Wednesday.

PT Yamabhumi Palaka president Muchsin Achmad told reporters on Tuesday that the two districts had a total of 49-million tons of coal potentials, of which 30 million tons would be recoverable.

Those coal potentials are spreading in a 81,860 hectare area in the two districts, located near the border between Indonesia and Malaysia in West Kalimantan.

Coal produced from the locations is directly transported across the borderline to Samatan port in Kuching, Serawak, Malaysia, from where the coal is shipped to the importing countries.

Muchsin said the company uses Kuching port because the distance from the mining site to Kuching was much closer than the distance to Pontianak, which is 500 kilometers away.

He contended that the company had to pay export tax when the coal transported passing the border. Nevertheless, it is still the cheapest, and less risky way to transport coal from the company's mining sites.

When asked about the company's contribution to the local people, Muchsin said the company had built infrastructure such as roads that could also be used by local people. In addition, the company has various community development programs including on education, social and religious affairs. (*)