Rivers in East Kalimantan Recede, Hindering Coal Transportation

The Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Yuliot, has revealed that coal transportation in East Kalimantan is currently being hindered by a decrease in river water levels. This information was shared by Yuliot following The 12th IndoEBTKE ConEx 2026 held in Jakarta on Wednesday, 2 September 2026.

“I checked this yesterday in East Kalimantan. Precisely, because the rivers are drying up, the barges cannot move,” Yuliot stated. Consequently, Yuliot emphasised that the disruption to barge operations is caused by the drought rather than any policies regarding coal production quotas.

“It is not because production is being limited, but because there is no water to navigate the barges,” Yuliot added.

The drying of rivers in Kalimantan is impacting more than just coal mobility. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has also identified fuel shortages occurring in Kalimantan due to receding river levels, which pose obstacles for energy distribution vessels.

“This is happening frequently in Kalimantan. Currently, the rivers are experiencing low water conditions, so ships that usually deliver via river routes are facing constraints in the fuel delivery process,” said the Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of ESDM, Laode Sulaeman, during a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission XII of the Indonesian Parliament on Wednesday (26/8).

Laode noted that the issue has been mitigated by increasing the number of fuel delivery trucks using land routes. However, the transport volume of these trucks is not as large as that of river-based transport.

The Mayor of Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Andi Harun, has requested that the public conserve clean water usage following the depletion of the Mahakam River’s water levels and the rising chloride levels caused by the prolonged dry season.

Speaking in Samarinda on Saturday (30/8), Andi Harun emphasised that the shrinking Mahakam River is affecting the operations of several clean water intake facilities in the Palaran, Pulau Atas, Bukuan, and Bantuas areas.

In addition to the decrease in water discharge, the increase in chloride levels has become a crucial factor, as it directly relates to the quality and safety of the water distributed to the community.