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RI looks to S. Africa, EU after Air Products exits downstream coal projects
The government is considering investment from South Africa and Europe, aside from China, after United States-based Air Products abandoned plans to build downstream coal industry facilities.
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Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto speaks to The Jakarta Post during an exclusive interview in his office on April 6. (JP/Vincent Fabian Thomas)
T
he government says firms in South Africa and Europe could be potential partners for the country to continue building downstream coal facilities after United States-based chemical company Air Products withdrew from plans to develop the industry in Indonesia.
Aside from Chinese companies, firms based in South Africa and European countries could pick up where the US company left off, according to the government.
“There are many potential partners, but it is up to each business-to-business (B2B) process,” Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto told The Jakarta Post during an interview in his office on Thursday.
“The technology can come from other places. So, it is not just Chinese technology, not really, but whoever [has the potential],” he added.
Read also: RI to find new partners after Air Products backs out from coal downstream project
Prior to its exit, Air Products had been working on gasification projects, one to convert coal into dimethyl ether (DME) and another to convert it into ethanol.
The former involved state-owned mining firm PT Bukit Asam (PTBA) and state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina, while the latter involved PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) and PT Arutmin Indonesia, both subsidiaries of PT Bumi Resources, jointly controlled by the Bakrie Group and Salim Group.
