Indonesia sets coal production record amid rising energy demand
Indonesia's coal production reached a new high in 2024 amid soaring domestic and global energy demand.
A coal mine in Indonesia. Photo courtesy of eastasiaforum.org.
Preliminary data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources revealed an output of 831 million tons in 2024, exceeding the government’s target by 17%.
As the world’s largest coal exporter, Indonesia relies heavily on this fossil fuel for its domestic electricity needs, despite plans by President Prabowo Subianto to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2040.
A December report by the International Energy Agency showed that global coal consumption has doubled in the past three decades, though demand is set to stabilize by 2027. In most advanced economies, coal demand has peaked and is expected to keep decreasing through 2027.
Indonesia’s rising production poses challenges to its 2040 coal phase-out goal, particularly as the country lags behind regional peers in renewable energy deployment.
Major coal producers, including China, have also increased output to meet global demand, despite an urgent need for the world to turn to cleaner sources of energy.
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