Excavators load coal onto a truck in West Java province, Indonesia in 2019. The country has now imposed a one-month ban on exports of the commodity. Antara Foto/Dedhez Anggara via REUTERS

SHOTARO TANI and CLIFF VENZON, Nikkei staff writers
January 10, 2022 16:53 JST
JAKARTA/MANILA -- Asian countries that rely on Indonesian coal to generate power are calling on the nation to drop its ban on exports of the commodity, with the Philippines the latest to reach out to Jakarta.

The Philippines energy department said in a statement on Monday that Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi last week "appealed" to his Indonesian counterpart, Arifin Tasrif, to lift the ban, "specifically to the Philippines."

Cusi said in a letter to Tasrif that Indonesia's policy will be "detrimental to economies that [currently] rely on coal-fired power generation systems, like the Philippines."

Indonesia imposed a one-month ban on coal exports on Jan. 1, saying it faced critically low stockpiles that would hit power grids serving the islands of Java and Bali, as a host of coal miners had not met their so-called Domestic Market Obligation, whereby they must supply 25% of annual production to the local market.

According to Cusi, the Philippines last year sourced 2.3 million tons of coal from Indonesia each month to fuel its coal-fired energy plants. "Power generated from coal comprises about 60% of the country's power demand," Cusi said in his letter.

Cusi has also asked Manila's foreign ministry to "intercede and appeal on behalf of the Philippines, through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Cooperation mechanism."

The Philippines joins Japan and South Korea in targeting the ban. Japan's ambassador to Indonesia, Kenji Kanasugi, sent a letter dated Jan. 4 to Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources calling for the ban to end. Tokyo repeated the same message on Monday, when Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiuda, who is currently in Jakarta, met with Tasrif.

"Coal imports from Indonesia are important for Japan's stable electricity supply ... I came here to find a solution. We hope for your understanding," he said in the meeting.

Meanwhile, South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo recently met online with his Indonesian counterpart, Muhammad Lutfi, raising concerns over the ban and requesting the prompt restart of coal shipments, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Indonesia has capped the domestic coal price at $70 per ton -- below half current market prices.

While the export ban was supposed to be reviewed on Jan. 5 and a senior government official said last week that the emergency is "over for now," weekend talks between the government and the Indonesian Coal Mining Association failed to pave the way to lifting the restriction.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Int...oal-export-ban



udah direspon

Diprotes Korsel dan Jepang, Indonesia Akan Longgarkan Ekspor Batu Bara

Kapal tongkang pengangkut batu bara lepas jangkar di Perairan Bojonegara, Serang, Banten, Kamis (21/10/2021). Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) mencatat ekspor produk pertambangan dan lainnya pada September 2021 mencapai USD 3,77 miliar. (Liputan6.com/Angga Yuniar)
Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Pemerintah Indonesia akan melonggarkan pengetatan ekspor batu bara. Hal ini dilakukan pemerintah usai kebijakan larangan ekspor batu bara mendapat protes dari Korea Selatan (Korsel) dan Jepang.

"Sekarang kita mulai longgarkan, sekarang lagi kita selesaikan hari-hari ini, hari ini, besok," kata Menteri Koordinator Bidang Kemaritiman dan Investasi Luhut Binsar Panjaitan kepada wartawan di Kompleks Istana Kepresidenan Jakarta, Senin (10/1/20
22).


Menurut dia, pembahasan terkait kebijakan ekspor batu bara dalam tahap finalisasi dan akan diumumkan. Luhut menyampaikan pemerintah juga akan segera menjawab protes yang dilayangkan Korsel dan Jepang.

"Ada ada (pengumuman), lagi akan kita finalkan sekarang. Nanti sore kita jawab atau besok (soal protes Korsel dan Jepang)," ujar Luhut.

Seperti diketahui, Presiden Joko Widodo atau Jokowi telah menyerukan larangan ekspor batu bara selama periode 1-31 Januari 2021. Kebijakan itu mendapat tentangan dari sejumlah negara yang bergantung pada suplai batu bara dari Tanah Air.

Larangan tersebut mendorong harga batu bara di China dan Australia lebih tinggi pada pekan lalu. Sejumlah kapal yang dijadwalkan mengangkut batu bara ke pembeli utama seperti Jepang, China, Korea Selatan, dan India juga kini tertahan di Kalimantan.

Kapal tongkang pengangkut batu bara lepas jangkar di Perairan Bojonegara, Serang, Banten, Kamis (21/10/2021). Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) mencatat ekspor produk pertambangan dan lainnya pada September 2021 mencapai USD 3,77 miliar. (Liputan6.com/Angga Yuniar)
Menindaki situasi ini, Jepang dan Korea Selatan sebelumnya sudah meminta Pemerintah RI mencabut larangan ekspor batu bara. Kini, negara tetangga yakni Filipina juga mendesak Indonesia mencabut regulasi tersebut.

Menteri Energi Filipina Alfonso Cusi telah menyampaikan surat melalui Departemen Luar Negeri kepada Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif.

"Kebijakan itu akan merugikan ekonomi Filipina yang sangat bergantung pada batu bara sebagai bahan bakar untuk pembangkit listrik," tulis Cusi dikutip dari AlJazeera, Senin (10/1/2022).

Cusi juga telah meminta Departemen Luar Negeri untuk menengahi dan mengajukan banding atas nama Filipina melalui mekanisme kerjasama Perhimpunan Bangsa-Bangsa Asia Tenggara (ASEAN).
www.liputan6.com//read/4856073/diprotes-korsel-dan-jepang-indonesia-akan-longgarkan-ekspor-batu-bara



Banyak negara bergantung pada Indonesia...
padahal Korsel dan Jepang mengembangkan energi terbarukan lebih maju dari Indonesia, tapi tetap tergantung dengan PLTU