PLN assured of 84 million tonnes coal supply for coal-fired power plants

Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT PLN (Persero) is confirmed to receive 84 million tonnes of coal supply from eight main suppliers to be distributed to coal-fired power plants (PLTU) in need before Eid al-Fitr. “The total to be supplied is around 84 million metric tonnes,” said PLN Distribution Management Director Rizal Calvary Marimbo when approached at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) office in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, 3 March. The coal supply will come from eight main coal suppliers, namely Adaro Indonesia, Arutmin Indonesia, Berau Coal, Kaltim Prima Coal, Kideko Jaya Agung, Multi Harapan Utama, Indominco Harapan Mandiri, and Bukit Asam. Rizal stated that the 84 million tonnes of coal supply is sufficient to maintain PLN’s operation days (HOP) at several plants through to the end of August 2026. He also said that PLN’s coal availability at present is already very adequate, so there will be no potential blackout or power outages. “We hope that before Eid al-Fitr, coal can reach all the plants that require it, so that the threat of a deficit in the future can be addressed,” Rizal said. To ensure smooth operations through the end of 2026, Rizal said PLN still requires around 40 million tonnes of coal. “DMO (Domestic Market Obligation) coal for PLN is 84 (million tonnes) plus 40 (million tonnes) more. That is specifically for PLN for the whole of this year,” said Rizal. The cause of the threat of a coal supply crisis for PLN is poor weather in the early part of the year, as well as suppliers waiting for government rule certainty. “So, at the start of every year the government issues new rules; it is almost every year a test. If under Minister Bahlil, this is a very committed effort,” Rizal said. It was previously reported that the government trimmed the coal production quota set in each company’s Work Plan and Budget (RKAB). The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources estimates the national coal production quota for 2026 to be around 600 million tonnes. That figure is down by 200 million tonnes compared with 2025 coal production realisation of 800 million tonnes. The purpose of cutting coal production quotas is to seek a balance between coal supply and demand, thereby improving prices. On the other hand, the Ministry stated that it would not trim coal production for companies holding PKP2B Generation I and state-owned enterprises (BUMN). As compensation, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has asked for coal depositions under the Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) scheme of 30 percent in the first half of 2026. DMO is the obligation for companies to hand over part of their production to meet domestic needs.