Indonesia’s coal mining association expects coal output in 2008 to rise by 6% to 218 Mt from an estimated 205 Mt this year, reports Macquarie Research. The country produced 193.5 Mt in 2006. However, the news for exports is not good. With domestic demand expected to rise by 18.4% to 58 Mt, exports are forecast by the association to increase by only 2% to 160 Mt in 2008. Such an increase from one of the world’s largest thermal coal exporter falls well short of the forecast rise of 4.8% to 361.5 Mt for Asian thermal coal demand in 2008. Coal export opportunites would seem to abound for any country that can get its coal out to fill these gaps in demand.