Coal domestic sales obligation at 82 mln T for 2012
Monday, July 18 2011 - 04:26 AM WIB
"The coal will be supplied to PLN, metallurgy industry, cement producers and other consumers,? said Thamrin Sihite, the Director General of Mineral and Coal at the Energy and Mineral Ministry over the weekend.
He did not give details of coal allocation for each industry but the fuel will be used mostly for electricity generation, as state utility firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara will start operation of its new coal-fired power plants.
Coal for domestic power generation accounts for 85 percent or 66,82 million tonnes this year while the remaining was supplied a number of metal miners including to copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara.
Cement industry get 8,86 million tonnes of coal this year while textile industry gets 1,97 million tonnes. Fertilizer and pulp will get 920.000 tonnes and 600,000 tonnes respectively.
The government expects producers to churn out 332 million tonnes of coal next year, up from an estimated 270 million tonnes this year, said Thamrin.
Exports were expected to increase by nearly 31 percent to 250 million tonnes in 2012, from 191.07 million tonnes expected for this year, he added.
In January to May 2011, domestic coal users consumed 23 million tonnes or 29 percent from this year?s domestic market obligation target.
On the export side, Indonesia shipped 77.51 million tonnes of coal in the same period to various buyers including to China, Japan and India, Sihite added.
Coal demand for overseas market has recovered in line with improving demand from Japan after devastating earthquake and tsunami in March this year, said Supriatna Suhala, Executive Director of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association.
Demand from other regions including from Middle East Countries and Southeast Asian countries have also boosted Indonesia?s coal exports, he added. (*)