South Sumatra exported more coal in April

The volume of South Sumatra?s coal exports rose sharply to 180,908 tons in April from 63,594 tons in March, while in term of value the coal exports from the province almost tripled to US$4.20 million from $1,738 tons, Sriwijaya Pos reported on Tuesday.

Tarmizi Effendi, the head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said on Monday that the coal exports were solely made by state owned coal producer PT Batubara Bukit Asam (PT BA), which operates a coal mining in Tanjung Enim, Muara Enim province.

He said that the coals were transported by trains to the coal mining company?s coal terminal in Tarahan, Lampung before being shipped to overseas and local buyers.

According to him, PT BA mainly exports its coal to Malaysia. In addition, the coal company also sells its coal to local power plants, mainly to the Suralaya power plant in Merak, West Java.

He said that coal is the province?s second largest foreign exchange earner after rubber, which in April received $9.42 million.(*)