T

he International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted in its Coal Market Report 2011 that over the next five years, global coal demand will increase at a rate of 600,000 tons per day, mostly driven by a surging power generation in emerging economies.

The agency says the rapid growth is a reminder of the challenges in making the global energy system more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Responding to the prediction, the government of Indonesia, the largest exporter of thermal coal in the world, revealed that it would not boost production to catch up with the growing demand, saying that conservation and environmental protection were more important priorities for the country.

“We’re not proud of being one of the largest coal exporters and we want to maintain the balance for the sake of our future,” said Thamrin Sihite, the director general for minerals and coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He continued that the government would not in the near future be issuing explicit limitations on coal production; but it would, however, be aiming to control production activities from mining companies’ expenditure plans (RKB). The government might reject production plans that are too excessive, he added.

In 2012, the government is aiming for a production target of 332 million tons, while the Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI) calculates that the volume could reach up to 380 million tons after taking into account output in 2011, which is estimated to reach 360 million tons by the end of this year.

The APBI shares the same opinion as the government: that an increasing global demand for coal does not force Indonesia to ramp up production, as there are 70 other countries in the world that also have coal reserves.

“Most of the countries can’t expand their production due to problems in infrastructure; particularly countries like Mozambique, Angola and the former Soviet Union countries,” Supriatna Suhala, executive director of the APBI, told The Jakarta Post.

If Indonesia limited its exports, coal prices would rise and make expansion of production in those countries economical, he explained. Now, the price of coal was affordable due to exports from countries whose coal reserves were close to coastal areas, like Indonesia, he said.

“But, it’s up to the government whether we want to halt a production increase for conservation or boost exports to seek revenue. As long as there is no prohibition, mining companies will continue to expand their production,” Supriatna emphasized.