LaycanDeskKalimantan to Sulawesi coal barge freight - Tanah Bumbu, Kotabaru and the Mahakam to Morowali, Bahodopi and Kendari
Indonesian-flag 270, 300 and 330 ft tug-and-barge sets carrying thermal coal from South and East Kalimantan jetties across the Makassar Strait to the Sulawesi nickel parks. Setangga, Sungai Dua and the Kotabaru jetties in South Kalimantan, and the Mahakam and Berau river jetties in East Kalimantan, to the captive power plants of the Morowali, Bahodopi, Bungku Barat and Kendari nickel parks: thermal coal in 5,000 to 9,000 tonne barge loads on Indonesian-flag tug-and-barge sets, fixed on the jetty nomination, the licensed discharge jetty, the loading rate and the 50/50 freight terms the trade runs on.
Indonesia's cabotage law reserves domestic sea carriage for Indonesian-flag ships owned by Indonesian companies holding a SIUPAL licence, so every coal barge that crosses the Makassar Strait is a red-and-white-flag set with an Indonesian crew and BKI class; foreign-flag tonnage cannot be offered. The working unit is the 300 x 80 x 18 ft flat-top barge behind a 2,000 to 3,200 BHP twin-screw tug, lifting 7,500 to 8,200 tonnes of coal at 4.3 to 4.8 metres; the 270 ft barge carries about 5,000 to 7,000 tonnes and the wide-beam 300 and 330 ft hulls reach 9,000 to 10,000. South Kalimantan loads at the Tanah Bumbu coal jetties in the Kotabaru port area, where the Setangga terminal holds a 63-year ministry concession and the Sungai Dua jetties stock 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes and load by conveyor; East Kalimantan loads on the Mahakam and Berau rivers. The receivers are the nickel parks: Bahodopi at Morowali alone has 35 barge jetties, Bahodopi was the world's largest coal discharge port in 2025 on DBX flow data, and the Bungku Barat and Kendari parks burn barge coal in captive plants. The tow from the Kotabaru side is about 520 to 760 nautical miles depending on the jetty pair, six to eight days laden at four to five knots and an 18 to 22 day round trip; the December to February westerlies add two to four days.
A barge stem goes to owners once the shipper's mine and IUP, the nominated loading jetty and its harbour-master clearance, the discharge jetty and its special-terminal licence, the quantity per set, the loading and discharging hours and the laycan are on the order. The trade's own terms are the ones the desk asks for: freight per tonne on bill-of-lading weight, 50 percent on completion of loading and 50 percent on arrival or completion at the discharge jetty, port disbursements for owner's account, loading in about 25 hours and discharge in about 24 hours per set with demurrage per day thereafter. A coal sale on FOB barge terms puts the barge on the buyer, so the party who fixes is the buyer or its trader, and the seller's jetty guarantees the loading rate, typically 2,000 tonnes a day for 230 and 270 ft barges and 2,500 for a 300 ft barge under a standard Indonesian FOB barge contract. Owners and operators with Indonesian-flag 270 to 330 ft sets opening in South or East Kalimantan, Java or Sulawesi send set names, barge dimensions, loadline draft, tug BHP and open port and date, and the desk holds them against the coal stems on the board. Both jetties are checked against the ministry's terminal registers and recent enforcement notices before a set is offered, and a discharge jetty under an open administrative process is disclosed to owners as a clearance risk.
Load jetties
- Tanah Bumbu: Setangga terminal and Sungai Dua jetties (Kotabaru port area, conveyor loading, 150,000–200,000 t stockpile)
- Kotabaru and Batulicin coal jetties, about 5.5 m alongside
- Mahakam river jetties above Samarinda (270 and 300 ft sets to the Muara Berau and Muara Jawa anchorages)
- Berau river jetties to the Muara Pantai anchorage
Discharge jetties
- Morowali: Bahodopi park jetties at Fatufia and Labota (35 barge jetties)
- Bungku Barat: Ambunu and Topogaro captive-plant jetties, 5.5–7 m at the barge berths
- Kendari and Konawe smelter jetties (Southeast Sulawesi)
- Discharge by shore grab or excavator into hoppers and conveyors
Typical sets
- 300 x 80 x 18 ft barge, 7,500–8,200 t coal, 4.3–4.8 m loaded
- 270 ft barge, 5,000–7,000 t; 330 ft and wide-beam hulls, 9,000–10,000 t
- Tug 2,000–3,200 BHP, 25–42 t bollard pull, 4–5 kn laden
- Round trip Kotabaru side to Morowali 18–22 days
Ships that carry it
The cargo itself, on Commbril
Questions charterers and owners ask
Can a foreign-flag barge or tug carry Kalimantan coal to Sulawesi?
No. Domestic carriage between Indonesian ports is reserved for Indonesian-flag vessels owned by Indonesian companies with a SIUPAL sea-transport licence, classed by BKI and crewed by Indonesians under Law 17 of 2008. A stem from Kalimantan to a Sulawesi jetty is therefore worked only with Indonesian owners and operators, and the set's flag, class and title documents are read before it is offered.
How much coal does a 300 ft barge carry and what draft does it need?
A standard 300 x 80 x 18 ft flat-top barge lifts 7,500 to 8,200 tonnes of coal at about 4.3 to 4.8 metres; 9,000 tonnes and more belong to wide-beam 300 ft or 330 ft hulls, which draw close to five metres. The jetty datum and the tide window matter at Kotabaru-side jetties quoted around 5.5 metres alongside, so send the barge's loadline draft with the set.
What terms does the Kalimantan to Sulawesi barge trade use?
Freight per tonne on bill-of-lading weight, paid 50 percent on completion of loading and 50 percent on arrival or completion at the discharge jetty; port disbursements at both ends for owner's account; loading in about 25 hours and discharge in about 24 hours per set with a daily demurrage figure; and on longer runs a prorata laytime of around ten days for loading and discharging together. Charterers who want a dedicated shuttle take a set on monthly time charter with fuel, agency and port dues for their own account.
What must I send to get a named set?
The shipper's mine and IUP, the nominated loading jetty by name with its harbour-master clearance, the discharge jetty and the party receiving, quantity per set and number of sets, loading and discharging hours, laycan, the freight basis and payment split, commission and the charterer's name. Both jetties are screened against the ministry terminal registers before owners are written; a discharge jetty with an unresolved licence question is put to owners as a stated risk, not hidden.