Jakarta (VIA) - Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has launched a study to map the rare earth mineral potential of the country's coal and is also exploring other ways to increase the field's derivative value in addition to using it as ' a power plant. .
Agung Pribadi, head of the Energy Ministry's Center for Minerals, Coal and Geothermal Resources (PSDMBP), said Indonesian coal may contain many rare earth elements (REE), which could increase its export value.
In addition, coal can be made suitable for metallurgical activities or transformed into synthetic graphene, he explained.
Indonesia's thermal coal exports exceeded 413 million tonnes in the first 10 months of 2023, making it the largest exporter of the high-emission fuel, the report said.
Indonesian supplies rose 11.5% year-on-year in 2022, in line with the growth rate of total coal exports, which could reach a new peak in 2023 despite efforts to move away from some large fossil fuel power systems.
According to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA), germanium is mainly used in optical fibers and infrared optics. It is also used in electronics and solar cells. In 2014, the price of germanium in the United States was 1918 dollars per kg. Since then, the price of this precious metal has fallen to $1,300 per kg in 2022.
According to CRMA, China accounts for about 60% of global germanium production, with the rest coming from Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States.
Siti Sumila Rita Susilawati, Secretary, Department of Geology, ESDM, Indonesia Research on rare earth minerals in coal is still modest. Examination of coal from the Bangko mine in South Sumatra province showed that the coal contained REE levels ranging from 2.4 to 118.4 parts per million (ppm)./.
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