Mining Magazine > Panorama > Komatsu, Adaro and United Tractors go green

Komatsu, Adaro Energy and United Tractors (UT) have executed a basic agreement to jointly advance the Bio Diesel Fuel Pilot Project in Indonesia. By March 31, 2010, the companies will begin work to produce bio diesel from Jatropha crops which will fuel the Komatsu mining dump truck fleet at Adaro coal mine in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The project aims to ultimately achieve a sustainable and environmentally friendly mining operation in the mining concession of Adaro Indonesia, Adaro Energy's wholly owned subsidiary.

Initially, Komatsu plans to establish a bio diesel fuel plant with a production capacity of 1-2t/d and a laboratory to ensure the quality of fuel produced. As a manufacturer, Komatsu will also render the standard warranty of its trucks fuelled by bio diesel produced at the project.

Adaro Energy will plant Jatropha and other feedstock plants used for the production of bio fuels on its mine reclamation areas, and UT, as the Komatsu distributor for Indonesia, will provide product support for the truck fleet.

The group’s target is to operate 100 Komatsu dump trucks using bio diesel at Adaro mine as of 2012, when 20% of the mineral diesel fuel currently used by the fleet will be replaced with bio diesel. This will result in an average annual consumption of 8,000t/y of bio diesel which will contribute to the reduction of approximately 20,000t/y of CO2 emissions.