Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power
The nation aims to significantly boost aluminum production, relying on coal despite climate concerns.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
A tug boat pulls a barge loaded with coal on Mahakam River in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahmad Mulia Panjaitan)
Photograph: Associated Press News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Indonesia intends to quadruple its alumina output to 32.5 million metric tons and increase aluminum production from 1 million metric tons in 2025 to 14.5 million metric tons by 2030.
- The expansion relies on new coal-fired power plants, a strategy that runs counter to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
- The Iran war has reduced Middle East aluminum output by 44% and driven prices up, creating an opportunity for Indonesia.
- China has invested significantly in Indonesia's aluminum sector and is expected to increase its stake to $30 billion by 2030.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 10 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 11 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
55/100
Craft
55/100
Hype
25/100
11 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 2 of the 10 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Indonesia is planning a substantial expansion of its aluminum production capacity, aiming to quadruple alumina output to 32.5 million metric tons and increase aluminum production from 1 million metric tons in 2025 to 14.5 million metric tons by 2030. This ambitious plan is being powered by the construction of new smelters that will run on coal, a move that contradicts global efforts to curb climate-changing emissions. The expansion is partly driven by disruptions to global aluminum supply chains caused by the Iran war.
The Iran war has led to a 44% reduction in Middle East aluminum output compared to 2025 levels. This disruption has caused aluminum prices to rise from between $3,150 and $3,250 per metric ton before the conflict to as high as $3,780 in June 2026. The global supply issues have accelerated a shift, putting Indonesia on the map as an alternative production region. China, the world's largest aluminum producer, is a key partner in Indonesia's expansion, having invested between $5.5 billion and $6 billion in the sector. Chinese companies are involved in about three-quarters of the planned Indonesian projects, with forecasts suggesting this investment could reach $30 billion by 2030.
Disagreement on emissions tracking
While the Associated Press reports that the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) is tracking 32 prospective coal plants to power these smelters, it also notes that data on emissions from these facilities is limited. Syahdiva Moezbar of CREA stated that this 'captive coal boom all over Indonesia is essentially not tracked,' adding that this situation is 'very concerning'.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports printed below mention the specific figure of 14.5 million metric tons for Indonesia's target aluminum production by 2030. While the Associated Press full report states this figure, it was not carried in the digests from the other outlets.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 8 times, most recently on 1 Sept 2026, 10:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports led on Indonesia's plan to expand aluminum production using coal power, highlighting the contradiction with climate change efforts. Associated Press, which provided the full report, detailed how the Iran war has disrupted global supplies and driven up prices, creating an opportunity for Indonesia. These reports noted that China is a major investor in Indonesia's aluminum industry. They also quoted environmental advocates who described the reliance on coal as 'greenwashing' and expressed concern about the impact of increased coal use on local communities and air quality. The reports from The Toronto Star, The Seattle Times, The Independent, The Independent (US), and The Hamilton Spectator, all digests, echoed the core message of Indonesia's coal-powered aluminum expansion in the face of global supply issues.
Centre
1 rated outlet
- The centre-rated report from the Winnipeg Free Press, a digest, focused on Indonesia's expansion of aluminum production as the Iran war disrupts supplies. It mentioned the country's reliance on coal reserves to power new smelters, noting this runs contrary to efforts to curb carbon emissions. The digest also indicated that prices for the metal have risen due to fuel shortfalls and attacks on infrastructure in the Middle East.
Right
2 rated outlets
- The right-rated digests reported that global aluminum supplies have been affected by the Iran war, increasing production costs. This has led to international interest in developing aluminum in safer areas, with Southeast Asia noted as a region of potential growth.
- Both digests mentioned that Indonesia plans to quadruple its alumina output. They also noted that this expansion would be powered by coal, a detail that was present in both reports.
- The digests did not include specific figures for the planned output increase or the projected cost of the expansion. No named individuals or organisations were quoted in the provided digests.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power?
- Of the 10 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 70% are rated left, 10% are rated centre, 20% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 11. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 10 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power biased?
- Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power is one event reported by 11 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Indonesia Plans Quadrupled Alumina Output Using Coal Power?
- 11 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How much does Indonesia plan to increase its aluminum production?
- Indonesia aims to increase its aluminum production from approximately 1 million metric tons in 2025 to 14.5 million metric tons by the year 2030. This significant expansion is intended to capitalize on global supply chain disruptions.
- What energy source will power Indonesia's aluminum expansion?
- Indonesia plans to power its expanded aluminum production using its abundant coal reserves. This involves building new smelters that will rely on coal-fired power plants, a strategy that has drawn criticism for its environmental impact.
- How has the Iran war affected aluminum prices?
- The Iran war has disrupted Middle East aluminum output, reducing it by an estimated 44% compared to 2025. This has driven up aluminum prices, which rose from between $3,150 and $3,250 per metric ton before the conflict to as high as $3,780 in June 2026.
- What role is China playing in Indonesia's aluminum industry?
- China is a major investor in Indonesia's aluminum sector, having already invested between $5.5 billion and $6 billion. Chinese companies are involved in about three-quarters of the planned projects, with forecasts suggesting this investment could reach $30 billion by 2030.
Read it at the source
11 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
1Right
2- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens Jonesboro Sun in a new tab)
Jonesboro Sun — is Jonesboro Sun biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Indonesia doubles down on coal to power its aluminum expansion (opens Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer in a new tab)
Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer — is Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
