Indonesia’s coal output reached a record high in 2024, spurred by increasing energy demand both domestically and internationally.
According to preliminary data updated on Friday by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, coal production was at 831 million tons, 17% higher than the government target for 2024. The data also showed that sales have reached a new high as well.
Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of coal, while also heavily relying on it for energy. President Prabowo Subianto said that Indonesia is planning to phase out all of its coal power plants by 2040.
December’s report from the International Energy Agency shows that global consumption of coal has doubled over the past three decades, though it said that demand would stabilize through 2027. In most developed countries, coal demand has already peaked and will continue to drop through 2027, said the report.
However, Indonesia’s hunger for coal only rises every year, making its goal of completely retiring all of its coal plants by 2040 a difficult process. Indonesia’s renewable energy sectors still lagged behind its neighbors.
Meanwhile, coal from other major producers, including China, has also risen to meet global demand, despite a call to move into a cleaner source of energy.
