The Indonesian government’s decision to ban coal exports due to the declining domestic supply of the mineral will ensure the reliability of electricity supply, state-owned electricity provider PT PLN (Persero) has said.
PLN’s executive vice president for corporate communications, Agung Murdifi, said that the government’s full support will ensure the fulfillment of coal supply for power plants to maintain national electricity reliability and protect national interests.
“It is in accordance with the mandate of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution as well as related laws and regulations, which state that national resources must be used as much as possible for the prosperity of the people, including for PLN’s operations,” he remarked in a statement released on Saturday.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has emphasized that coal demand for all PLN power plants is a matter of national interest and its fulfillment must be prioritized by all mining business license holders, he noted.
“The potential of power outages for 10 million PLN customers can be avoided thanks to the (government) support,” Murdifi stated.
PLN is ready to ensure the availability, reliability, and affordability of electricity for all Indonesian people by optimizing its operational sector and getting coal supply reserves for at least 20 operating days, he added.
To ensure service during the 2022 New Year holiday, the company has deployed 48,179 officers, ranging from the operational sector to customer services, he informed.
The enterprise will work efficiently to implement the policy in a short time by mobilizing all available resources as well as coordinating with the ministry and other stakeholders related to the coal supply chain, he added.
Earlier in the day, the director general of mineral and coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Ridwan Jamaludin, announced that the government has temporarily banned coal exports from January 1 to January 31, 2022, to ensure the availability of coal stocks for domestic power plants.
Source: Antara News