Asia's coal-fired power boom 'bankrolled by foreign governments and banks'

The vast majority of newly built stations in Indonesia relied on export credits agencies or development banks, says study by Market Forces

The much-discussed boom in coal-fired power in south-east Asia is being bankrolled by foreign governments and banks, with the vast majority of projects apparently too risky for the private sector.

Environmental analysts at activist group Market Forces examined 22 deals involving 13.1 gigawatts of coal-fired power in Indonesia and found that 91% of the projects had the backing of foreign governments through export credit agencies or development banks.

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