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Monday, 06 October 14
' COAL-BY-WIRE' FROM SUMATRA TO JAVA - THE JAKARTA POST
 Coal from the island of Sumatra accounts for most of Indonesia’s low-grade lignite, a low-quality coal that receives a poor price in international markets.
Given this low pricing combined with high transportation costs and the fact that most reserves are located in landlocked areas, it is not feasible to export Sumatra’s coal out of the island.
It is more efficient to use Sumatra’s coal for a mine-mouth power plant, an approach in which we develop a power plant very close to where mines are located, use the low-calorie coal from the mines to feed the plant, and transmit the electricity, rather than transporting a low-value commodity, out of the mines.
With mine-mouth, we no longer require either barges or expensive railway-heavy infrastructure to transport coal; rather we need to have long-distance high-voltage transmission lines to bring “coal-by-wire” from mines to consumer centers, either regions in Sumatra and/or Java-Bali.
Essentially, with “coal-by-wire” we are transporting a higher-value commodity by wire from mines to customers. Coal stays in the landlocked areas and feeds mine-mouth, coal-fired power plants.
“Coal-by-wire” would definitely boost the development of a domestic market for low-grade coal. Today, our market for coal is very thin as we are one of the world’s leading exporters of thermal coal of a high quality in the international market.
Our exports have increased very significantly within the past decade on account of demand from fast-growing Asian economies. More than 80 percent of our coal currently produced is exported.
Indeed, coal is currently the most important source of energy for our economy. For decades coal has accounted for more than half of our power-generation capacity. And this will continue for a half century to come before alternative and cleaner energy sources other than coal become affordably available.
Our economy is also growing, and of course will require more electricity power and therefore coal – challenges that have to be met. Electricity generation now consumes close to 75 million tons per year, and will almost triple in the next 10 to 15 years.
However, domestic use of coal today notoriously suffers from infrastructure bottlenecks. Congested barges and ports, as well as a shortage of railways limit the transportation of coal from coalmines in two coal-producing regions, Kalimantan and Sumatra, to demand centers in Java-Bali, where most of our power plants are located.
The majority of our coal reserves in the two regions are located in landlocked areas that require rail transportation infrastructure to reach ports for export.
Either truck haul or rail is needed to transport the coal to barge ports and terminals.
Truck operating costs are about twice that of rail, but existing rail transportation infrastructure is severely insufficient.
Indonesia’s attempts to improve coal-transport infrastructure for the domestic market have not been very successful. Dedicated coal ports in Kalimantan have been planned for many years, but implementation has again faced bottleneck issues.
Specialized railways for coal in Sumatra have also been initiated, but this concept is still under development and has not yet received a higher-level mandate or legal authorization.
Delays in expanding the capacity of barge and transportation infrastructure cause inefficiencies and high transportation costs in domestic coal utilization. These high costs and infrastructure bottlenecks have held back the development of the domestic market for coal.
Our high-voltage transmission lines are also astonishingly limited. The state-owned electricity company (PLN) operates approximately 40,000 kilometers of transmission lines, with less than 15 percent of this total serving the island of Sumatra.
If we can build more mine-mouth, coal-fired power generation plants we will need to expand our transmission network across the island, interconnected to other transmission systems in Java-Bali.
A new set of lines of a high-voltage of 500 kilovolts and medium-voltage of 275 kV needs to be developed as a backbone network across the island, i.e. providing long-distance, reliable and stable transmission.
The distribution system and transformer capacity also need to be expanded to service a larger coverage of costumers and demand centers.
We are required also to develop an interconnected transmission system, as existing electricity transmission is not compatible across regions due to different systems and manufacturer standards adopted in the past.
The current initiative of developing inter-island interconnection lines between Java and Sumatra with 500kV High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) lines needs to be completed in harmony with the mine-mouth development.
These long-distance transmission and distribution lines, as well as interconnected systems are required to exist before a system of mine-mouth power plants is commissioned to ensure that electricity produced can be transmitted in a timely manner and with minimum cost.
Both the central and local governments must work hand-in-hand to endorse incentives to encourage the private sector — independent power producers (IPPs) — to develop mine-mouth power plants.
Incentives need to be designed to enhance the financial viability of IPPs’ mine-mouth power plant projects.
PLN as an off-taker of IPP plays a fundamental role as the “coal-by-wire” agent, and has to be ready to absorb all of the risks associated with the development and operation of the system, including the difficulties in land acquisition and intra-regional compatibility of transmission systems.
Sumatra with its huge resources of low-grade coal can secure its own electricity supply and, eventually, can be the source of low-cost electricity with its energy radiating not only to Java, but also to every corner of the country.
Source: The Jakarta Post
The writer is deputy for energy and mineral resources at the office of Coordinating Economic Minister.
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Wednesday, 29 October 14
GOOD REASON WHY Q4 CAPESIZE OUTLOOK WAS SO BULLISH AT START OF THE YEAR - COMMODORE RESEARCH
COALspot.com: There was good reason why so many analysts' capesize outlook for Q4 was so very strong at the start of this year. Brazilian ...
Tuesday, 28 October 14
SGX'S FOB RICHARDS BAY COAL SWAP FOR DELIVERY Q1' 2015 CLOSED AT $ 68.07 ON 24 OCT
COALspot.com: API 4 FOB Richards Bay coal swap for Q4’ 2014 delivery decreased US$ 0.65 (-0.96%) month over month and increased US$ 1.79 (+2. ...
Tuesday, 28 October 14
SUB-BIT FOB INDONESIA COAL SWAP FOR Q1' 15 DELIVERY CLOSED 3.68% LOWER MONTH ON MONTH
COALspot.com: Indonesian coal swaps for delivery Q4' 2014 lost month on month and gained day on day and week on week.
The swap has lost US ...
Monday, 27 October 14
GOVT PROMISES TO EASE LICENSING PROCEDURES IN MINING SECTOR - THE JAKARTA POST
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s directorate general for mineral and coal plans to simplify the complicated licensing procedures i ...
Monday, 27 October 14
FOB NEWCASTLE COAL SWAP FOR Q1' 15 DELIVERY CLOSED $ 0.10 LESSER THAN Q4' 14 CLOSING OF $ 53.27 PMT
COALspot.com: API 5 FOB Newcastle Coal swap for Q4’ 2014 delivery decreased US$ 1.43 (-2.61%) month over month and increased US$ 0.05 (+0.09% ...
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- Australian Coal Association
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Planning Commission, India
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- White Energy Company Limited
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- The University of Queensland
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Parliament of New Zealand
- MS Steel International - UAE
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
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