An Overview About Coal Water Mixture (CWM) as New Unconventional Energy Potency, and Indonesia Coal Fields for Case Studies

Putra, Rieza R.; Alibazah, Julia S.; Umar, Datin F.

The increasing energy demand is one of the many crisis faced by numerous country in every parts of the world, including Indonesia. The dependence to fossil fuels, especially oil and gas, should be alternated due to the fact that its production has been declining lately. One of the alternatives is CWM (Coal Water Mixture) from low quality coal (lignite - sub bituminous). CWM — which is a coal based fuel with fluid properties that has undergone a series of processing and upgrading — could act as an oil and gas substitute, mostly for industries with boilers which runs on heavy oil.

With the complex geological condition, Indonesia holds a substantial coal resources, about 105,700,000,000 tons. Most of these resources are classified into low-grade coals. Therefore, Indonesia is a promising market for CWM development.

CWM as coal based fuels with liquid physically can be used as fossil fuels substitute, mostly in Industries that using heavy oil, its considered from the viscosity and rheology of CWM have in common with heavy oil.

For economic values purposes, the formula is based from several aspects, the formula; CWM Value = (in-mine coal value) + (upgrading and processing cost) + (transport. Storage cost, etc). From this formula, CWM should more competitive than coal in hunk (solid) form.

As new venture of unconventional energy resources, CWM should be socialized intensely, especially for industries that use heavy oil

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90163©2013AAPG 2013 Annual Convention and Exhibition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 19-22, 2013