Indonesia has lifted a ban on thermal coal exports, imposed since the start of the year, with immediate effect for exporters meeting certain stringent conditions, a senior minister said on Thursday.
Coordinating minister for maritime and investment, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, told reporters in Jakarta that state-run utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) now had sufficient inventories, of between 15-20 days, at the country’s coal-fired plants.
“Thirty-seven vessels that have been loaded as of 12 January… will be released for export,” he said.
He added miners would be permitted to export coal on condition they had fulfilled their domestic supply obligations for 2021, namely allocating 25% of their full-year output to the domestic market.
The prior ban on shipments from the world’s largest thermal coal exporter exacerbated concerns of an already tight seaborne market, particularly in the Pacific basin, where the benchmark Global Coal Newcastle index was last pegged at USD 215.43/t, up 17.4% on the week.