Workers walk near a coal barge at a port in Palembang, South Sumatra (Photo: ANTARA/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Energy andMineral Resources Ministry has begun studies to map the potential of rare earthminerals in domestic coal and is also considering other ways to increase thevalue derived from the commodity beyond its use as a power plant feedstock.
Agung Pribadi, head of the energy ministry’s Center for Mineral, Coal andGeothermal Resources (PSDMBP), said Indonesian coal potentially contained a lotof rare earth elements (REE), which could increase its export value.
Moreover, coal could be refined to make it suitablefor metallurgical activities or processed into synthetic graphene, heexplained.
He said that Indonesia's export of thermal coal surpassed413 million tonnes over the first 10 months of 2023, a new highcementing its status as the largest exporter of the high-emission power fuel.
Indonesian shipments jumped 11.5% from the same periodin 2022, roughly twice the growth rate of the total global coal exports that are ontrack to touch new highs in 2023 despite efforts to transition several majorenergy systems away from fossil fuels.
According to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance(CRMA), germanium is primarily used in fiber optics and infrared optics. It isalso used in electronics and solar cell applications. In 2014, germanium pricein the US was at 1,918 USD per kg. The price of this precious metal hasplummeted since then, to about 1,300 USD per kg in 2022.
According to the CRMA, China accounts for about 60% of the world's germanium production, with therest coming from Canada, Finland, Russia, and the US.
Siti Sumilah Rita Susilawati, Secretary of the Geology Departmentof ESDM, said that in Indonesia, research on rare earth minerals in coal is still modest.A study conducted on coal from the Bangko mine in South Sumatra province foundthat this coal likely contained REE levels ranging from 2.4-118.4 parts permillion (ppm)./.
