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RI looks into use of rare earth elements in coal
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Workers walk near a coal barge on Jan. 4, 2022, at a port in Palembang, South Sumatra, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Nova Wahyudi/ via REUTERS (Reuters)
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he Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has begun studies to map the potential of rare earth minerals in domestic coal and is also considering other ways to increase the value derived from the commodity beyond its use as a power plant feedstock.
Agung Pribadi, head of the energy ministry’s Center for Mineral, Coal and Geothermal Resources (PSDMBP), said Indonesian coal potentially contained a lot of rare earth elements (REE), which could increase its export value.
Moreover, coal could be refined to make it suitable for metallurgical activities or processed into synthetic graphene, he explained.
“Another thing is germanium, a critical mineral. The price is quite high [at the moment],” Agung told reporters in Bandung on Saturday, suggesting stakeholders consider exploring other uses for Indonesian coal instead of using it only as thermal coal.
Thermal coal exports from Southeast Asia's largest economy surpassed 413 million tonnes over the January-October period, a new high, cementing the country’s status as the world’s largest exporter of the high-emission fossil fuel.
Indonesian shipments jumped 11.5 percent from the same period in 2022, roughly twice the growth rate of total global coal exports, which are on track to touch new highs in 2023 despite worldwide efforts to transition away from the use of coal as an energy source.
Read also: Indonesia maps rare earth reserves for industry goals
