Local coal demand may hit 50m tons by 2002<\/p>\n
NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): Indonesian demand for coal is projected
\nto increase drastically to 50 million tons in 2002 from 11
\nmillion tons last year.<\/p>\n
Vice president of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association,
\nGraeme Robertson, said here last week that by 2002, a coal-fired
\npower generating capacity of more than 7,000 megawatts would have
\nbeen installed in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
This capacity alone will require over 20 million tons of coal
\nper annum, Robertson said.<\/p>\n
Cement, paper and pulp plants will also increase their coal
\nconsumption to about eight million tons in 2002, he added.<\/p>\n
\"Domestic coal briquetting is another sector undergoing
\nexpansion to meet growing industrial and household use,\"
\nRobertson said at the 24th Australia-Indonesia business
\nconference here.<\/p>\n
Robertson is chairman of the Swabara Group in Indonesia and
\nmanaging director of New Hope Corporation in Australia. Their
\ncombined interests produced some 12.5 million tons of thermal
\ncoal last year, mainly from the Adaro and Multi Harapan mines in
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
Robertson said the increasing use of coal in power generation
\nin Indonesia and several other Asian countries would drive up
\ncoal demand in the region.<\/p>\n
Coal imports for power generation by six leading Asian
\ncountries -- China, India, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan and
\nThailand -- are projected to reach 25.4 million tons per annum by
\n1999 and 63 million tons by 2002.<\/p>\n
Robertson, however, warned that the growth in coal supply
\nwould be very unlikely to offset a more rapid increase in demand,
\nand this imbalance would tighten the market starting in 1999.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Coal production increased drastically since 1981,
\nwhen the government opened the sector to foreign investments.<\/p>\n
Coal production rose from 27.8 million tons in 1993 to 32.9
\nmillion tons in 1994, 42 million tons in 1995 and 51 million tons
\nin 1996.<\/p>\n
Most of Indonesia's coal output was exported to Asian and
\nEuropean countries as well as the United States.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which exported 36.4 million tons of coal last year,
\nup from 31.3 million tons in 1995, is currently the world's
\nthird-largest exporter of thermal coal.<\/p>\n
Robertson projected that Indonesia's coal output would
\nincrease to 85.7 million tons by 1999 and 114 million tons by
\n2002.<\/p>\n
According to data at the Ministry of Mines and Energy,
\nIndonesia holds 36 billion tons of proven coal reserves, as
\ncompared to proven oil reserves of 10.92 billion barrels.<\/p>\n
Most ( 74 percent) of the country's coal output now is derived
\nfrom 10 foreign mining contractors of the first generation. The
\ncontractors operate under production-sharing contracts with
\nstate-owned PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam.<\/p>\n
Eighteen other coal mining contractors, which are mostly
\nIndonesian companies, are still in exploration stages or
\npreparing construction production facilities.<\/p>\n
Six of these are scheduled to start production within two
\nyears. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/local-coal-demand-may-hit-50m-tons-by-2002-1447893297",
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