South Sumatra misses 2025 coal output target; public road ban takes effect

South Sumatra failed to meet its coal production target in 2025, with output falling well short of expectations amid persistent transport disruptions and growing restrictions on the use of public roads for coal hauling.

The provincial government had set a coal production target of 164.27 million tonnes for 2025. However, realized output reached only 108.45 million tonnes as of November, according to data from the South Sumatra Energy and Mineral Resources Office (ESDM). The figure is provisional, as production data for the final month of the year has yet to be fully compiled.

Head of Mining Engineering and Mineral and Coal Revenue at the South Sumatra ESDM Office, Armaya Sentanu Pasek, said the shortfall was largely caused by disrupted coal distribution following widespread road closures triggered by public protests.

 “Coal transport has not been running smoothly. There have been road closures due to infrastructure damage, traffic accidents and even bridge collapses,” Armaya said on Monday (January 5), as quoted by Idntimes.com. He added that even with the remaining data, total production is unlikely to approach the original target and may only match 2024 output of around 113 million tonnes.

Read also : ICMA urges phased implementation of S. Sumatra coal haulage road restrictions

Coal production in the province remains concentrated in Lahat and Muara Enim regencies, which together contributed about 85 million tonnes in 2025. Lahat accounted for roughly 43 million tonnes, while Muara Enim produced around 42 million tonnes. Other producing regions included Musi Banyuasin (12.9 million tonnes), Musi Rawas Utara (8.5 million tonnes), Banyuasin (4.85 million tonnes), Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir (901,000 tonnes) and Ogan Komering Ulu (901,000 tonnes).

The production challenges coincide with a major regulatory shift that took effect at the start of 2026. The South Sumatra provincial government has officially banned coal haulage trucks from using public roads, requiring all coal transport to be conducted via dedicated mining roads.

The policy is stipulated in the Governor’s Instruction No. 500.11/004/INSTRUKSI/DISHUB/2025 on the use of special mining roads for coal transportation, issued on July 2, 2025, and enforced starting January 1, 2026. Under the regulation, coal trucks are prohibited from operating on national, provincial and district roads and must instead use designated mining haul roads.

The instruction also obliges mining companies to accelerate the construction of dedicated haul roads in their respective operating areas. Despite the rule having been in effect for more than a week, authorities have reported continued violations, with some companies still using public roads covertly. Others have opted to temporarily suspend coal transportation activities, affecting tens of thousands of truck drivers.

South Sumatra is home to around 60 coal mining companies, of which 28 reportedly do not yet have dedicated haul roads. Six of these companies have formally committed to building their own roads, while the rest remain at various stages of planning or are seeking access to third-party infrastructure.

With the stricter enforcement of transport regulations now in place, South Sumatra authorities expect continued pressure on coal output in the near term. The province is still awaiting confirmation from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on its official coal production target for 2026.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak