VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the government would speed up construction of a coal gasification plant owned by PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), since the state-run company has already prepared for using this technology. Hartarto said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the postponement of the signing of a cooperation agreement for PTBA's gasification in the United States would not affect progress in building the plant. President Director of PTBA Arviyan Arifin said the development of the coal gasification industry is being handled by state-run oil and gas company PT Pertamina (Persero) and the US-based gas and chemical company Air Products and Chemicals Inc, and has entered the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) stage. According to Hartarto, the gasification plant will not only convert young-type coal into DME, but also convert coal into other high-valued products. (ANTARA)