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Sunday, 20 June 10
OUR COAL: ITS DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
 Indonesia’s production of coal has been growing amazingly. In the mid 1980s, national coal production was less than 1 million tons per annum, whereas energy planners (in the fourth Five Year Development Plan: 1989-1994) pointed at 10 million tons as the national production target.
The current production has jumped dramatically, recorded as 237 million tons in 2008 (predicted to achieve 270 million tons this year), making Indonesia a world class producer and the largest exporter of coal around the globe. The skyrocketing growth of our coal production has also incited many controversial issues.
Coal is considered as the dirtiest among fossil fuels, making environmentalists oppose their wide use
as fuel.
However, the proposal for ceasing use of coal — power generation, for instance — would be challenged by power utilities demanding low cost fuel that coal may offer and by the government, which has the responsibility to provide electricity as well as have revenue from exploiting its energy resources.
Despite the world’s rising anxiety of global warming, IEA (International Energy Agency: World Energy Outlook 2009) statistics shows that the world consumption for coal, for the last decade, is still growing the fastest among primary energy sources.
The environmental problem associated with coal in Indonesia is not limited to green houses gases (GHG), but also damage and pollution since its exploitation, transportation and uses to post mining.
It is easy to find where many coal fields are not mined appropriately according to “good mining and environmental practices”, coal transportation is not considering safety standards and is damaging rivers, (public) roads and seashores.
The coal mining has polluted the land, water and air of especially Kalimantan, where more than 90 percent of Indonesia’s coal mining operations take place.
It is sad that many of the previous mining areas have been abandoned without being properly reclaimed, whereas thousands of hectares of the island’s tropical forests have been converted into desert.
The soaring exploitation, including its negative impact on the environment, has a strong correlation with the number of licensing/permits awarded.
The introduction of the 1999 Regional Autonomy Law, subsequently followed by the 1999 Fiscal Balancing Law between the Central and Regional Governments have — to some degree — impacted on the coal licensing regime, where larger authorities had been given to regional/local governments.
Under the new licensing regime by local governments, requirements for coal permits tend to be relaxed whereas monitoring has not been done properly.
As a result, the number of permits (Mining Authorization/KP) has been growing considerably (currently 462, of which 169 are producing), coal production increases, but also environmental problems and the issues of illegal mining exist.
The question of who really owns the KP licenses exists, which was defined as that it can be owned by Indonesian national/companies only.
While the largest part of coal in Indonesia are being produced by large companies (the holders of Coal Contract of Work/PKP2B), some coal is mined by small scale and illegal miners.
It is believed that a significant amount of coal has been produced by illegal miners (some 5 million tons annually) and part has gone to meet export demand.
Wherever in the world, illegal miners lack interest in responsible mining and mine rehabilitation practices. Illegal mining is a problem for potential investors, the environment and government revenues.
The government has introduced measures to crack down on problems, including arresting illegal miners.
However, it cannot be the only solution since illegal mining is actually rooted in underemployment, local poverty and weak law enforcement, while the number of people involved in these activities is quite significant.
An alternative to confrontation to illegal miners by the central government (who awards the large scale PKP2B mining license) should be a cooperative and more comprehensive approach.
“Despite the world’s anxiety of global warming, IEA statistics shows that the world consumption for coal is still growing the fastest among primary energy sources.”
Work together with local/rural governments and communities to reduce poverty, educate/assist the illegal miners to increase their awareness on good mining practices (including mine rehabilitation), provide transition period fiscal incentives to encourage illegal mining toward the regulated mining sector, among others.
It needs to maintain an appropriate balance between the soaring exports of coal (about three quarters of production on average) and the domestic growing demand for the same fuel.
Push for exports is still coming largely from the traditional East Asians (Japan is the largest), while the coal-hungry India and China are also increasing their demand for our coal.
The exports will be competed with by the Blue Print for Energy Management 2005-2025 pointing out that one third of Indonesia’s energy primary energy mix in 2025 is to be supplied by coal, (the current share is about 15 percent).
Even though it is often mentioned that our coal reserves are quite large (current proven reserves of 5.5 billion tons; estimated resources of 105 tones) and that our reserves for coal are much larger than that of oil and gas, we should watch their fast rate of exploitation cautiously.
It needs to recalculate the benefit of exploiting them, taking into account their damage to the environment and what is left post mining. Where have all the revenues from exploiting that coal gone? Is the escalating export not jeopardizing the domestic energy security in the near future?
We have ample experiences, for instance in exploiting the resources-rich Kalimantan. The forests, oil and gas reserves have been exploited for about four to five decades, but it seems that the island has not enjoyed the fruits of the excessive exploitation: the current regional economy remains weak, infrastructure is poor and energy supplies for local uses have not been secured.
It needs to promote the terms “resources balance, depletion, sustainability”, start internalizing the costs of environmental impact and enforce those concepts into workable policies for our coal mining development.
The writer is the senior energy planner and an economist with the National Development Planning Agency. The opinions expressed are his own.
Source: The Jakarta Post ( Hanan Nugroho)
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Thursday, 09 January 14
CAPESIZE: WEST AUSTRALIA FREIGHT IS NOW DOWN IN THE $8S AND STILL DROPPING - FEARNLEYS
Handy
In the Atlantic we see rates sliding slowly for the start of 2014. Several players cvrd over the holidays and the rate decline was som ...
Thursday, 09 January 14
THE SHIPPING MARKET IN 2013 AND LOOKING FORWARD GLOBAL ECONOMY: STEADY AS SHE GOES UPWARDS - BIMCO
Over the past year, developed economies have gained traction while developing and emerging economies have suffered from slower growth. Despite key e ...
Wednesday, 08 January 14
DRY BULK MARKET PROSPECTS LOOKING BRIGHTER DESPITE SLOW START TO THE NEW YEAR - NIKOS ROUSSANOGLOU, HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS
Despite the fact that the dry bulk market's benchmark, the BDI has been on a fall since the start of 2014, ending yesterday's session down to 1,87 ...
Wednesday, 08 January 14
AUSTRALIAN NEWCASTLE PORT'S WEEKLY COAL EXPORTS FALL
COALspot.com: In the week ended January 6, power plant and semi-soft coking coal shipments from the port of Newcastle in Queensland, totalled 3.27 m ...
Wednesday, 08 January 14
THE DRY BULK MARKET HAS LOST SOME OF ITS STEAM THESE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS: INTERMODAL
Chartering (Wet: Softer- / Dry: Softer- )
The Dry Bulk market has lost some of its steam these past couple of days although hires, espe ...
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- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- The University of Queensland
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Planning Commission, India
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Australian Coal Association
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Parliament of New Zealand
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- White Energy Company Limited
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
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