[Epoch Times, January 10, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Xu Cuiling reported) The Philippine Department of Energy said on the 10th that Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has called on Indonesia to lift the ban on coal exports, because the policy will severely damage the highly dependent fuel coal-fired economies. Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea have also made similar appeals to Indonesia.
Indonesia, the world‘s largest exporter of thermal coal, halted exports on New Year’s Day 2022 after the state-run power generation agency reported that the country’s power plant stocks had reached dangerously low levels.
A ban on Indonesia’s coal exports sent coal prices in China and Australia higher last week, with ships destined for major buyers Japan, China, South Korea and India, now docked in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
The Philippine Department of Energy pointed out that in addition to making the above appeal through the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a letter to Indonesian Energy Minister Arifin Tasrif, Cush also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to represent the Philippines through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cooperation mechanism. Mediation in the middle.
The Philippines relies heavily on coal-fired power generation, most of which is purchased from Indonesia. In 2021, it will purchase 2.3 million tons of coal from Indonesia every month as fuel for domestic power generation. Other more expensive supplies come from Australia and Vietnam.
According to government data, nearly 70 percent of the Philippines’ 42.5 million metric tons of coal supply in 2020 was imported.
Editor in charge: Yuzhen
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