PPA's ERT GRN Returns Home After Representing Indonesia with Distinction at MERC 2025 Australia

PT Putra Perkasa Abadi (PPA) again represented Indonesia by sending the Garuda Rescue Nusantara (GRN) Emergency Response Team (ERT) to the prestigious international ERT event, the Mining Emergency Response Competition (MERC), held at Langley Park, Perth, Australia on 28–30 November 2025.

The team had departed Jakarta on 22 November 2025. Before departure, the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal and PPA's Board of Directors (BOD) saw the team off with guidance and encouragement.

The send-off was held at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources office, Jakarta, led directly by the Director General of Mineral and Coal, Tri Winarno, S.T., M.T., and attended by PPA Operations Director and Chair of the GRN Supervisory Board, R Teguh Saptosubroto, HCGA Director Fathul Muin, and the Chair of the Garuda Rescue Nusantara Foundation, Adri Thanada.

In his remarks, the Director General of Mineral and Coal affirmed that PPA's participation in MERC is a concrete expression of Indonesia's commitment to raising national mining safety standards.

Before competing, the Garuda Rescue Nusantara team had the opportunity to meet the Indonesian Consul General in Perth at the Consulate General hall on 27 November 2025.

At MERC 2025 the team competed in eight rescue scenarios spread across 3 different days: Confined Space Rescue, Emergency Response Team Readiness, Fire Fighting, First Aid, Hazmat, Road Crash Rescue, Vertical Rescue and Incident Management.

On the final day of the event, a Closing Ceremony was held, attended by all competing teams — made up of ERTs from the world's largest mining companies such as BHP, Rio Tinto and Northern Star — and by the entire MERC organising committee.

It was at this Closing Ceremony that PPA was announced as 2nd place in the Road Crash Rescue Scenario, 4th place in the First Aid Scenario, 2nd place Best Captain, and 1st place in the special Team Spirit Award category. Overall, ERT GRN placed 6th out of all the competing teams..

The ERT GRN team's return was welcomed by the Head of Mine Inspectors (KaIT) for Mineral and Coal Energy (ESDM) Ahmad Syauqi on Tuesday (2/12/2025).

"Semoga apa yang didapat tim dari MERC bisa bermanfaat dan dibagikan kepada tim-tim lain di tanah air," said Ahmad Syauqi.

At the welcome home for ERT GRN, the team received a certificate of appreciation from KESDM for its contribution at MERC 2025, an international ERT event where it brought honour to the nation.