Tanjung Bara, Coal loading port in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Tanjung Bara is a coal export terminal on the coast of East Kalimantan, connected to the mining areas around Sangatta. The facility has loading infrastructure and docking areas built to handle large cargo vessels.
The terminal began operating in the early 1990s to serve growing global demand for coal from the Sangatta area. Its construction marked the start of deep industrial change along this stretch of coastline.
The port turned Sangatta from a small coastal settlement into a town built around coal transportation. Visitors passing through the region today can see how the local economy and daily life revolve around the operations of this facility.
This is an active industrial terminal, so public access is restricted. It is worth checking in advance or finding a nearby vantage point to observe the facility from a distance.
The channel in front of the terminal is deep enough to receive cape-sized vessels year-round, some of the largest cargo ships in the world. These ships are too wide to pass through the Panama or Suez canals and must sail around Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope instead.
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