New Indonesia coal pricing policy worries India power firms

The Financial Chronicle reports on Tuesday Tata Power, Adani group, Lanco Infratech and Reliance Power, among other Indian coal importers, are waiting to assess the impact of the Indonesian government attempts to benchmark its coal prices to international indices. The new system has the potential to increase the cost of thermal power generated using imported coal in India.

The new method that will come into effect from September attempts to link the royalties paid to the Indonesian government to an index of coal prices for Australian and South African coal in addition to others. But Indian firms said Indonesian coal is of lower calorific value and, hence, priced cheaper compared with Australian and South African coal.

The Financial Chronicle reports:

In September 2010 the Indonesian government issued new regulations to determine the benchmark price for the sale of coal and minerals. The regulation proposes to peg the price for both domestic sales and export of coal to a ‘benchmark price’ for all the mining licensees.