APBI expects coal price to stabilize at $75-85 this year

By Thomas Sembiring

Petromindo

The Indonesia Coal Mining Association (APBI) expects thermal coal price to sustain its recovery this year, with price of the commodity to be stable at around US$75-$85 per ton.

?I?m very confident that the price will not fall (again this year),? said APBI Director Supriatna Suhala on Wednesday at a discussion forum with publicly-listed coal miners and coal mining services companies.

He said that a policy in China to cut down work hours at its coal mines have contributed to the recovery in the price of thermal coal used as fuel in power plants. He said that China has find a simple formula to synchronize the interest of its coal mining industry and power plant industry.

Supriatna added that the coal industry in general this year will be in better condition than last year. Coal price started to recover last year following years of downturn.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak