Indonesia has banned coal exports in January because of concerns that low supplies at domestic power plants could lead to widespread blackouts, a senior official at the energy ministry said on Saturday.
The Southeast Asian country is the world’s biggest exporter of thermal coal, exporting around 400 million tonnes in 2020. Its biggest customers are China, India, Japan and South Korea.
Indonesia has a so-called Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) policy whereby coal miners must supply 25 per cent of annual production to state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) at a maximum price of $70 per tonne, well below current market prices.
