Indonesia may approve a coal output quota of “more or less” 600-million metric tons in 2026 and will adjust its nickel quota according to the industry’s needs, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said on Thursday.
The output quota level will be lower than the 790-million tons produced last year, though actual production by the world’s top thermal coal exporter often surpasses the quota.
All miners in mineral-rich Indonesia are required to submit an annual production plan, known as a RKAB, to the government for approval.
Bahlil said the quota reduction was aimed at supporting prices of Indonesian mining products.
A similar move will also be implemented to support nickel prices, Bahlil said, but he did not disclose the quota level for 2026, reiterating that it will be adjusted to meet demand by local smelters.
“We are currently calculating how much capacity the industry has and we will have to be able to supply them,” he told reporters.
The ministry has not provided data on how much nickel ore was produced in 2025.
Indonesia’s nickel smelter association FINI estimated nickel ore demand from domestic smelters in 2026 would reach around 340-million to 350-million metric tons from around 300-million tons in 2025, with new production capacity expected to come online this year.
Concerns about Indonesia’s reduced nickel output sent global prices surging in December.