Indonesia’s coke-making capacity ready to explode

SE Asia’s first large-scale merchant coke plant began production in Indonesia’s Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in May. The start-up marks the beginning of Indonesia’s rise as a major demand centre for imported coking coal. The park will contain the largest coke production complex in SE Asia and could see import demand for coking coal rise by 400%. The opportunities for coal exporters are potentially huge. In this report we assess the scale of the opportunity and discuss what the implications might be for the seaborne trade. Who stands to benefit the most? This leads to additional coking coal demand to the current market, which will tighten the already constrained seaborne coking coal supply. Australia will remain the dominant source, while domestic sourcing will increase gradually.