Tekmira prepares FS for Indominco’s UCG project
Tuesday, March 5 2019 - 01:10 PM WIB
By Bernard Loebs
The Center for Research and Development of Mineral and Coal Technology (or better known here as Puslitbang Tekmira) has started preparations to carry out feasibility study (FS) for an underground coal gasification (UCG) project proposed by East Kalimantan coal mining firm PT Indominco Mandiri.
Tekmira said in a statement on Monday that discussion and evaluation of coal and geological data for the planned FS started on Friday with Indominco, which also involved Andre Chernishov, a UCG expert from Australi via teleconference.
The statement said that the UCG project aims to process coal with low commercial value into a more valuable syngas, which can be used to produce dimethyl ether (DME), fertilizer, and synthetic fuel products.
Tekmira said that UCG technology is more cost efficient in producing syngas than the conventional coal gasification technology. It is also more environmentally friendly.
“Tekmira will soon draft proposal for the FS on the possibility of applying the UCG (technology) at the Indominco Mandiri mine,” Tekmira said.
Indominco operates a coal mine in Bontang, East Kalimantan, and started production in 1997. The mine holds bituminous coal reserves with sulfur content of 0.8%-1.6%. Indominco’s largest markets are Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, according to Tekmira statement.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak