REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will limit coal export of to guarantee Indonesian energy sustainability. The policy will be implemented gradually.
"This is an important step to guarantee Indonesian energy security. If we maintain production and export at current point, we will run out the coal in the next 30 years," Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Susilo Siswoutomo, said on Friday.
At first, government will regulate the coal production and they will consult local governments to find out coal production volume in each region.
Based on the data in Directorate General of Mineral and Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, national coal production from January-December 2012 reached 386 million tonnes, increasing by 9.3 percent compared to previous year.
Indonesia exported 304 million tonnes or 73 percent of total production in 2012. Asian countries, such as China, Japan and India, are the main coal export destinations.