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Indonesia’s RMK loads record coal volumes in June

  • Market: Coal, Electricity
  • 09/07/24

Indonesian coal logistics provider RMK Energy's monthly barge loading volume hit an all-time high in June, supported by favourable weather.

RMK Energy loaded a total of 115 vessels with a total coal volume of 916,000t last month, 53pc higher than a year earlier and also up by 23pc from 745,000t in May, the company said. The increase was supported by drier weather during the month, resulting in increased operational efficiency, it added.

RMK Energy loaded 3.9mn t of coal onto 495 barges and unloaded 1,627 trains totalling 4.04mn t over January-June. The company is lagging behind its targets, with volumes so far comprising 42pc and 40pc of its respective targets for 2024, the company said. But its coal logistics operations have since normalised, following weak performance in the first quarter resulting from high rainfall.

Coal transportation volumes are expected to increase in the second half of the year, given projections of increased demand for coal in preparation for the peak winter demand season and continued drier weather in the coming months.

RMK Energy expects to hit its 2024 target of 9.2mn t for its barge loading and 10.2mn t for its train unloading services, if it is able to maintain its current level of operations.

By Antonio delos Reyes


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28/04/25

Trump works to blunt renewables growth

Trump works to blunt renewables growth

Washington, 28 April (Argus) — US president Donald Trump has started to impede development of renewable energy projects he sees as boondoggles, but he is facing challenges to his attempts to halt government funding and tax credits for the sector. Trump has attacked wind turbines and solar projects as part of a "Green New Scam" that should not be built, based on his preference for the fossil fuel-fired and nuclear power plants he says are more reliable and affordable. Trump selected a cabinet of like-minded individuals who oppose renewables and see little urgency to address climate change. He was elected to end the "nonsense" of building renewable resources that are heavily subsidised, make the grid less reliable and raise costs, energy secretary Chris Wright said in an interview on Earth Day. Interior secretary Doug Burgum on 16 April ordered Norwegian state-controlled Equinor to "immediately halt" construction of the 810MW Empire Wind project off New York. Trump had already ordered a freeze on future offshore wind leases , and suspending Empire Wind's permits is likely to spook investors even outside the renewables sphere. To reverse course on a fully permitted project is "bad policy" that "sends a chilling signal to all energy investment", American Clean Power Association chief executive Jason Grumet says. The US last week separately said it would impose anti-dumping duties on solar components imported from four southeast Asian countries that will range from 15pc to 3,400pc. Those duties — in effect from June to support US solar manufacturers — will be in addition to a 10pc across-the-board tariff the US imposed this month on most imports. Solar industry groups have said that steep import duties will make new installations unaffordable, stunting the industry's ability to grow. Trump has had less success in his push to axe support for renewables approved under Joe Biden. On 15 April, a federal judge ordered the administration to unfreeze billions of dollars for clean energy projects provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and 2021 infrastructure law. The administration lacks "unfettered power to hamstring in perpetuity two statutes", judge Mary McElroy wrote. In a separate ruling on 15 April, judge Tanya Chutkan prohibited the administration from suspending $14bn in grants distributed to nonprofits under the IRA for a greenhouse gas reduction programme. The administration is appealing both rulings. Targeting the windfall Trump could further undermine the growth of renewables by convincing Republicans in Congress to use an upcoming filibuster-proof budget package to repeal or narrow the IRA's tax credits for wind, solar and other clean energy projects. Critics of that law see the potential for $1 trillion in savings by repealing its tax credits, which could offset the costs of more than $5 trillion in planned tax cuts. But there appear to be enough votes in each chamber of Congress to spare at least some of the IRA's energy tax credits. In the Senate, where Republicans can only afford to lose three votes, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and three other Republicans signed a joint letter this month saying "wholesale repeal" of the tax credits would fuel uncertainty and undermine job creation. In the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a similarly slim majority, 21 Republicans voiced concerns earlier this year about repealing all of the tax credits. Renewables are on track to overtake natural gas as the largest source of US electricity by 2030 — assuming the tax credits and climate rules enacted under Biden remain intact — the EIA stated this month in its Annual Energy Outlook . The amount of power from renewables under the EIA's existing policy baseline by 2035 will increase by 135pc to 2.8bn MWh, while gas-fired power will decline by 14pc to 1.6bn MWh over the same time period. By Chris Knight Baseline US net power generation Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cement sales at India’s Dalmia fall on year in Jan-Mar


28/04/25
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28/04/25

Cement sales at India’s Dalmia fall on year in Jan-Mar

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Japan’s Erex starts up biomass power plant in Vietnam


28/04/25
News
28/04/25

Japan’s Erex starts up biomass power plant in Vietnam

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Nations, groups ramp up efforts on climate unity


25/04/25
News
25/04/25

Nations, groups ramp up efforts on climate unity

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Kurdish gas plans may boost Iraqi oil exports


25/04/25
News
25/04/25

Kurdish gas plans may boost Iraqi oil exports

Dubai, 25 April (Argus) — Plans for a significant increase in natural gas production in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region over the next 18 months could not only help address the country's chronic power shortages but also enable Baghdad to boost its oil exports. The Pearl Petroleum consortium — which comprises Abu Dhabi-listed Dana Gas, Sharjah-based Crescent Petroleum, Austria's OMV, Hungary's Mol, and Germany's RWE — aims to increase gas production capacity in Kurdistan to 825mn ft³/d by the end of next year, representing a more than 50pc increase from current output. The plan involves expanding the capacity of the region's sole gas-producing field, Khor Mor, to 750mn ft³/d by the first quarter of 2026, and adding up to 75mn ft³/d from the Chemchemal field by the end of 2026. According to a source at Pearl, the development of Chemchemal is a key priority for the companies, as it is believed to have reservoirs comparable to those of Khor Mor. Under a 2019 agreement, the additional gas from the expansion project will be sold to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for a 20-year term, which should help eliminate the region's frequent power outages, particularly during peak summer months when demand for air conditioning is high. The Kurdistan region will also be well-positioned to supply any excess gas to the rest of Iraq. The federal government in Baghdad had previously approved a plan to import approximately 100mn ft³/d of gas from Khor Mor to power a 620MW plant in Kirkuk province, but no formal agreement has been signed to date. "The federal ministry of electricity and Crescent Petroleum have already met to finalise the agreement, which is ready for signature and awaiting implementation," the Pearl source said. "The infrastructure needed to support the sale of this quantity of gas is also in place." The plan has faced delays partly because of Iran's long-standing influence over Iraq and the potential impact such an agreement with the Kurdistan region could have on Baghdad's reliance on Iranian gas and power. However, the revival of US president Donald Trump's ‘maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran is forcing Baghdad to get serious about seeking alternative energy sources, with the Kurdistan region emerging as a viable option. Crude Export Boost Formalising the deal to import Kurdish gas would allow Baghdad to allocate more oil for export, as it would reduce the need to burn crude for power generation. Argus estimates that Iraq typically burns between 50,000 b/d and 100,000 b/d of crude in its power stations, depending on the season, and has recently increased imports of gasoil for power generation. By the time Iraqi Kurdistan has fully ramped up its additional gas capacity, Iraq's Opec+ crude output target will be 200,000 b/d higher than it is today, based on the group's latest production plans. By Bachar Halabi and Nader Itayim Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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