Govt considering export ban of coal with 4,000 kcal/kg CV

By Bambang Atmaja

The government is considering to ban the export of low rank coal with calorific value of lower than 4,000 kcal/kg, Industry Minister MS Hidayat told Petromindo.com.

He said that coal is one of the strategic mining commodities that should be managed well, and one of the ways is through export restriction.

?One of the new regulations that the government may issue soon is the prohibition on the exports of coal with calorific value of lower than 4,000 kcal/kg? he said.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik earlier said that the government is currently drafting a regulation that would restrict the export of coal while increasing demand from the domestic market. ?We are finalizing the regulation on coal. A new policy will be issued this year,? the Ministe said earlier.

Jero said that the government would increase the total amount of coal sold to domestic market, among others through the revision of the so-called domestic market obligation (DMO).

Editing by Adianto P. Simamora