Pangkalan Kerinci (Jawi: ڤڠكالن كرينچي) is a town and district in Pelalawan Regency, of Riau province of Indonesia. The town is the administrative capital of Pelalawan Regency.
In 1993, Pangkalan Kerinci was a small village in the Sumatran rain forest. During that year, four thousand workers commissioned by Sukanto Tanoto constructed a river port and a large logging mill there. At this time, the Kerinci Township was home to 200 households; a population that would grow to 103,882 by mid 2023[1] as APRIL Group's business expanded and diversified, transforming Kerinci into a social and commercial regional hub.
Commercial pulp production commenced in 1995, followed by commercial paper production in 1998. From the beginning, the region's growth would mirror the growth of APRIL Group's operations in Indonesia, with the Pelalawan Regency established in 1999, followed by the establishment of the Pelalawan Kerinci District within the Pelalawan Regency in 2001. Kerinci's continued growth would see its urban area divided into three kelurahan (urban villages) in 2005.
In 2010, APRIL Group's forestry operations was measured to contribute 6.9% of Riau Province's total economic output. APRIL Group has created approximately 90,000 employment opportunities, which when coupled with its initiative to deliver better access to education and social support in areas such as healthcare and housing, has seen improved living standards and a reduction in poverty levels of 30%.https://www.aprilasia.com/en/about-us/history
Pangkalan Kerinci has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.