The projects in question embrace a railway system, a coal terminal, a steam power plant and and aluminium smelter. Nalco will oversee the development of the smelter, which will boast an annual capacity of 500kt, and the other projects will be undertaken by Rhas Al Khaima, a coal mining company based in the United Arab Emirates.

It is understood that all of the projects will be completed by 2014, although M Chatib Basri, chief of Kalimantan's State Investment Co-ordinating Board (BKPM) has suggested that neither company has officially signed on the dotted line. They have signed separate 'memorandums of understanding' (MOUs), which mean they are interested in the investing in the province.

The projects will effectively be a four-phase operation with the Nalco smelter forming phase three alongside the development of a proposed steam power plant. Phase one and two will be the railway system and coal terminal respectively.


Source: The Borneo Post.