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ndonesian coal producers are required to sell at least 24.17 percent of their production to the domestic market next year under the new coal domestic market obligation (DMO) regulation issued by the government on Tuesday.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said that the determination of the minimum coal volume to be sold to the domestic market was needed to ensure that there would be a shortage of supply at home.

The coal should be sold under the government’s benchmark price which is fixed monthly. The government set the DMO at 24.75 percent for 2010.

The regulation will affect 53 coal mining companies involving 42 coal contracts of work (PKP2B), state owned company PT Bukit Asam and 10 mining right (KP) and mining license (IUP) holders. Included under the PKP2B category are coal giants PT Adaro Indonesia, PT Arutmin Indonesia, PT Berau Coal and PT Kideco Jaya Agung.

The DMO percentage is determined based on projected coal production and projected domestic demand for 2011. The government estimates that coal production will reach 326.65 million tons in 2011, while domestic demand is expected to reach 78.97 million tons.

Of the total 78.97 million tons of coal expected to sold to domestic market, 66.28 million tons would be sold to power plants, 8.86 million tons to the cement industry, 1.97 million tons for textile industry, 0.92 million tons for the fertilizer industry, 0.60 million tons for the pulp industry and 0.34 million tons for metallurgy.

State power utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) is Indonesia’s largest domestic coal consumer. The government expects to allocate 55.82 million tons of coal to PLN in 2001, or more than 70 percent of total domestic coal consumption.

PLN’s internal estimation is actually lower than the government allocation. Company director for primary energy Nur Pamudji said the firm’s coal consumption was projected to reach 52 million tons next year, a 44 percent increase from 36 million tons this year.

PLN said it would burn more coal next year as it will operate five new coal-fired power plants — the 3x330 megawatt Indramayu power plant in West Java, the 2x315 megawatt Rembang power plant in Central Java, the 625 megawatt Suralaya plant in West Java, the 600 megawatt Paiton plant in East Java and the 2x300 megawatt Lontar plant in Banten.

The second largest consumers of domestic coal are independent power producers (IPPs), which collectively are forecast to consume 8.97 million tons of coal in 2011. Other companies using coal for power generation are PT Freeport Indonesia (0.83 million tons), PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (0.47 million tons) and PT Pusaka Jaya Palu Power (0.19 million tons).

Companies using coal for metallurgical processes are PT Inco (0.14 million tons) and PT Antam (0.20 million tons).

The government set the coal DMO to secure supply for the domestic market, particularly to PLN, which contributes around 90 percent of power generated in the country. The 2009 mining law stipulates that the government must determine the DMO annually through an Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry decree.