The policy is taken with consideration to preserve coal energy and reduce the number of shipment abroad that`s been increasing during the past years.
Jakarta (Antara News) - Deputy Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Susilo Siswoutomo said the government will soon issue regulation that will limit the number of coal export.

The policy is taken with consideration to preserve coal energy and reduce the number of shipment abroad that`s been increasing during the past years.

"It is our effort to conserve the unrenewable energy. We will issue the regulation as son as possible," he said adding that other countries have implemented the policy and prefer to import coal for the sake of local coal`s conservation.

The deputy minister argued if Indonesia continues exporting coal without limiting the number, the country`s coal potential will be finished in the next 15 years.

Susilo added the government will also make better record on small-scale coal production. The concept will be each head of province responsible to record the coal production of his area.

Earlier the Energy and Mineral Resource Ministry`s Coal Director Edy Prasodjo said in 2012 coal production is estimated to reach, or probably exceed, 330 million tons.

"So, in 2013 the production could exceed 450 million tons or even reach 500 million tons," Edy stated.

"The consumption of coal in the domestic market was initially 30 percent, but now it is 25 percent, and it could become just 10 percent later," he added.

An energy analyst of ReforMiner Institute, Komaidi Notonegoro, supports the plan to control coal exports.

"I even hope the coal exports are stopped, so it could be fully used for domestic purposes," he said adding that coal production should be adjusted to the domestic consumption rate.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013