Over 100 leading Indonesian textile industrialists met with representatives of European machinery companies in Jakarta recently, to discuss the country’s urgent need for the modernisation of its mills.

While still Indonesia’s largest exporter, with an annual surplus of US$5 billion, the textile industry is facing major issues in respect of quality, diversification and general competitiveness. These problems are mainly due to the countries limited investment in new machinery, which has been the key reason for the recent success of competing countries such as Pakistan and India.

In recognition of this, the Ministry of Industry – which organised the Jakarta event in cooperation with the country’s Synthetic Fiber Makers Association (APSyFI) and the Indonesia Textile Association (API) – has launched a new programme to assist mills with new investment programmes. It will also seek to encourage the country’s banks to look more favourably on the investment plans of textile companies.

Meanwhile, Gunnar Meyer, Monforts Asian Sales Director, emphasized the vital energy savings – and hence increased competitiveness – that can be achieved with new technologies such as its heat recovery system for textile drying.

This takes the waste heat produced in the thermal process, as well as that in the exhaust air and discharges it to the heat exchanger to heat up fresh air. This can lead to a reduction of around 30% in overall energy requirements.

Monforts had been invited to hold this presentation following a delegation from Indonesia visiting the Monforts booth at ITMA in Munich were the new innovations in energy saving and heat recovery were exhibited.