MANJUNG: Lekir Bulk Terminal (LBT) is a hive of activity, unloading imported coals for the neighbouring coal-fired power station, the Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station (SASPS).
The dry and liquid bulk terminal manages all of the coal required by SASPS, which has four plants: Manjung 1, Manjung 2, Manjung 3 and Manjung 4.
LBT is 80% owned by Integrax Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Bhd, while the remaining 20% is owned by Malakoff Bhd.
SASPS, on the other hand, is wholly owned by TNB.
“The annual consumption of coals for the power plants is 10 million metric tonnes.
“This is expected to rise to 13 million metric tonnes upon completion of the Manjung 5 project in the last quarter of 2017,” said Integrax managing director Mohamad Zahir Ismail.
Speaking at a recent media visit, he said LBT played a pivotal role in assisting TNB Janamanjung to optimise the efficiency of its plants, as the latter burns imported coals which prices are determined by market forces.
The coals are normally brought in by container vessels that mostly comprise Panamax vessels and a few Capesize.
Panamax vessels can carry 75,000 dead weight tonnes (dwt) of shipments while Capesize can carry 140,000dwt.
For panamex vessels, once docked, LBT have to unload the coals within 58 hours and transport them via its conveyor lines, which span 2.7km, to the plants.
“In general, we have vessels that unload daily and we always ensure that the plants are never short of coal supply,” said Mohamad Zahir.
He stressed that the coal supplied is more than adequate as SASPS plays a crucial role in ensuring the national grid has uninterrupted, reliable and sufficient power supply.
“Currently, there are 100 to 120 vessels that dock annually at LBT. We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to cater for the coal-fired plants which also operate round the clock,” added Mohamad Zahir.
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