(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia, a major supplier of liquefied natural gas, is asking its overseas buyers to accept delays to some scheduled shipments as domestic energy demand rises.
The government has asked the nation’s LNG exporters to attempt to defer this year’s shipments, according to people with knowledge of the matter. One of the people said Jakarta is requesting a delay into 2026.
The Southeast Asian nation may need to retain the equivalent of 50 LNG shipments for domestic consumption, another one of the people said. Indonesia exported roughly 300 cargoes last year, according to ship-tracking data.
A spokesperson for the Indonesian energy ministry did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Indonesia, the world’s sixth-largest LNG exporter, is the latest supplier to struggle to meet domestic needs, keeping fuel out of a finely balanced global market. Egypt, also usually an LNG exporter, has been importing shipments to supplement falling production, while Malaysia is considering taking more shipments.
Indonesia plans to prioritize gas output for domestic energy generation and to support downstream industries, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said earlier this week. He added the government also encouraged private companies to take part in new power plant projects.
Jakarta has taken steps in the past to safeguard its domestic market. It banned coal exports in 2022 due to concerns over low supplies at power plants and fears of blackouts. The same year, palm oil exports were put on hold to contain local prices.
--With assistance from Eddie Spence.
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