JAKARTA: The national shipping businesses guarantee to carry 6.56 million tons of coal per annum to coal-fired power plants following the application of the cabotage principle.
Vice Chairperson of the Indonesian National Shipowners' Association (INSA) L. Sudjatmiko revealed the number of national barge boats to secure coal supply for power plants was sufficient.
"Ship availability is not an issue since the national shipping companies have prepared more than 35 coal barge boats to carry coals to three coal-fired power plants," he told Bisnis last week.
The three power plants are the Suralaya Baru, Labuan (Banten), and Indramayu (West Java) coal-fired power plants.
Data by the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, the Ministry of Transportation, showed the 1 x 600 megawatt (MW) Suralaya Baru power plant requires a coal supply of 1.80 million tons per annum.
In the meantime, the 2x300 MW Labuan power plant needs 1.90 million tons of coal per annum and the 3 x 300 MW Indramayu power plant requires a supply of 2.86 million tons of coal per annum.
Sudjatmiko explained the three power plants were part of the 10,000 MW electricity crash program in Java. "The national barge boats have started carrying coal to the three coal-fired power plants."
In May 2010, the national ships carried 293,000 tons of coal to the three power plants, namely 253,000 tons to the Labuan power plant, 8,000 tons to the Suralaya Baru power plant, and 32,000 tons to the Indramayu power plant.
The boats have an average capacity of 8,000 tons per unit and have been Indonesia-flagged in compliance with the cabotage principle.
Potential cargo
Co-Chairperson for Barge Transportation at the INSA Teddy Yusaldi added the national barge or bulk boats this year were eyeing to carry 80 million tons of coal.
He estimated the national coal production for 2010 at 270 million tons, 80 million tons of which were to cater to domestic needs. "Some of the coal are to cater to the need of coal-fired power plants."
According to Teddy, coal is the major market of barge boats in Indonesia, especially to cater to the need of coal-fired power plants operating in Java and outside of Java. "The procurement of domestic barge boats will depend on the progress of coal transportation."
He disclosed although the number of Indonesia-flagged boats had reached more than 1,000 units, more boats were needed to ensure the need for domestic coal transportation could be fulfilled. (Bisnis/aji)
http://www.bisnis.com/pls/bisnis/bisnis.cetak?inw_id=740521
A New Cornerstone of Legal Services in Indonesia
Periodical Review of Indonesian Politics, Economy and Other Public Issues
LGS Newsletter on Various Legal and Business Issues
Government Officials and Prominent Business Actors in Indonesia
Important Addresses You Should Know
