COALspot.com - Indonesia shipped 28.27 Million tons of coal  in June 2011, a 2.3 percent lesser than May export of about 28.962 million tons, Indonesian coal industry sources said.

Indonesian coal producers have shipped  approximately 8.236 million tons of coal to China in June, which was 0.24 percent higher than May 2011 exports. However, Indonesian producers failed to push more coal to India in June.

Indian importers have imported 2.63 percent lesser coal compared to May Imports. India has imported only around  6.20 million tons, which were around 21.95 percent of Indoneisan total coal exports in June. In the meantime, India has imported approximately 36.033 million tons coal, which was slightly lesser than Chinese's imports of 36.071 million tons, during first half this year.

India was the largest Indonesian coal importer since January 2011 until April 2011, until China becomes the largest importer of Indonesian coal since May 2011.

According to the coal minister of India,  India's coal imports may be at 250 million tons per annum by 2016. Coal imports are an unavoidable options for Indian utilities due to non availability of  economically viable coal from domestic mines. However, according to Indian UMPPs, due to Indonesian government regulation that forces all coal producers must sell coal at government declared monthly prices, would cost them at least US$ 30 per ton higher than they previously budgeted.

According to Indian power industry sources opined that  Indian UMPPs ( ultra-mega power project) suddenly caught in between as the concept of UMPP was implemented 4 to 5 years back. The large scale industrial houses in India  have bided and secured UMPP licenses based on the open market prices /long term coal contracts from Indonesian producers (I.e., pre regulated Indonesian market). Now that Indonesian coal reference price mechanism is in place all the UMPP's are seeking Indian government’s assistance in revising the Power Tariff of UMPP.

There are mixed of reactions from Indian mine investors in Indonesia related to government regualtion on coal referance price. Indian power plants are must focus on the fuel security than price advantages out of Indonesian coal mine operations. Mine investments in Indonesia will definitely a good option for power producers of India to secure fuel for their plants, according to an Indian power producer who had invested coal mine in Indonesia. 

Meantime, another investor opined that, more and more of Indian lenders are concerned with the sourcing of coal from Indonesia for their power generating plants after reported backing out of Reliance Power from their proposed 4000 MW UMMP in Krishnapatnam port zone due to higher cost for coal imports from Indonesia.

Indonesia has introduced bench mark pricing mechanism for its coal  since February 2010, and it has implemented for the domestic supplies as well the export market. The pricing was done on the transparent way using four internationally acceptable coal indices to generate monthly Indonesian coal reference prices for about 62 types of coal, including 8 types of bench mark qualities.

The regulation also requires miners to report sales volumes, prices, and buyers every month to the government, allowing it to ensure that the rules are being followed. Violations can lead to revocation of mining permits. The price benchmark aims to prevent firms selling coal to affiliates at low prices to avoid taxes that hurts Indonesia's efforts to collect revenues from its massive commodity exports.

Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia has set the July 2011 Indonesian Coal Reference Price for thermal coal at US$ 118.24 per ton per ton, which was 0.66 percent lesser than June 2011 price. Assessment basis of coal price reference was calculated considering coal with GCV (GAR)  6,322 kcal/kg, Total Moisture (arb) 8.00%, Total Sulphur (arb) 0.8%, Ash Content (arb) 15.00% and  delivery free on Board (FOB) Vessel basis  and applicable for spot contract, delivery between 1 – 31 July 2011.

Indonesian government is currently drafting a new regulation that could ban the export of low-grade coal by January 12, 2014. This is likely to apply to coal below 5100 kilocalories (on air dried basis) in value.

Indonesian large-scale producers were offering bituminous coal of 5,500 kcal/kg NAR at around $ 108 a ton, FOB vessel basis, and the price was almost flat since last week, buyers said.

79.77 percent of total coal exports in June shipped to China, India, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan respectively.

The coal export information within this article is provided by coalspot.com on an "as is" and "as available” basis. All details about, given in good faith, without guarantee. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information furnished in this article. COALspot.com shall be obliged if errors / omissions are brought to its notice for carrying out corrections in this article.