Yogyakarta residents turn to coal briquettes for fuel<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Today's high fuel prices are no longer a source of stress for
\nAgus Sumarwoto as two months ago the catering entrepreneur turned
\nto coal briquettes.<\/p>\n
He chose coal briquettes as an alternative fuel as they are
\ncost efficient.<\/p>\n
Before using the coal briquettes, Agus had to use 15 tanks of
\nliquefied petroleum gas (LPG) a week, with each tank of 15
\nkilograms of LPG costing him Rp 51,000. The catering company had
\nto use firewood and kerosene to cook certain kinds of foods,
\ncausing the company to spend Rp 250,000 a day on fuel.<\/p>\n
\"We were aware of the government's plan to raise fuel prices,
\nso we started using the briquettes prior to the government's
\nannouncement of the price increases,\" said Agus.<\/p>\n
Now he spends Rp 160,000 a day on fuel.<\/p>\n
Agus is among many people nationwide who turned to coal
\nbriquettes after the fuel price increases on Oct. 1. Ignatius, a
\nchicken farmer with 10,000 chickens, for example, vowed he would
\nswitch to coal briquettes next week. He is currently using
\nkerosene and LPG to run a machine that keeps his chicken coops
\nwarm.<\/p>\n
Since the government raised fuel prices the demand for coal
\nbriquettes has risen from two tons a day to 15 tons a day.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot meet the rising demand as the supply from coal
\nproducer PT Bukit Asam is limited. We are supplied twice a month,
\nwith each supply amounting to 15 tons,\" said Jimin, the owner of
\na local coal briquette supplier.<\/p>\n
As demand is on the rise, the price of coal briquettes has
\nincreased from Rp 800 per kilogram to Rp 2,000 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
Most people who use coal briquettes are restaurant and
\ncatering company owners, although they are also bought for
\nhousehold use or by farmers, said Jimin.<\/p>\n
While some experts have said the use of coal briquettes
\ncan cause lung problems, Marno Datun of Gadjah Mada University
\nbelieves they are safe to use. He said that, as coal briquette
\nmakers in the country had reduced the sulfuric content of the
\nbriquettes, using them was no longer a health hazard.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/yogyakarta-residents-turn-to-coal-briquettes-for-fuel-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}