National coal production has increased in the first 6 months of 2023. Minerba One Data Indonesia (MODI) data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) shows that the volume of national coal production during January-June 2023 reached 359.42 million tons.
This amount exceeds the realization of national coal production for the January-June 2022 period amounting to 294.37 million tons.
In the same period, 116.7 million tons of coal were sold to the export market, while 71.06 million tons of coal were deposited for domestic market obligations (DMO).
Executive Director of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI), Hendra Sinadia, said that the increase in coal production in the first half of 2023 was driven by a number of things.
Apart from the weather factor, demand from export markets, namely China and India, was also quite strong in the first half of 2023.
"Then last year in January 2022 there was an export ban which also affected production in January even though the overall realization of 2022 production exceeded the target," Hendra told Kontan.co.id, Monday (10/7).
Until the end of the year, the government is targeting national coal production to reach 694.50 million tons throughout 2023. Meanwhile, coal exports are planned at 460.00 million tons, while the DMO is 176.80 million tons.
Image source: KONTAN/Muradi