The Philippines will try to boost the output of its coal-fired power plants to keep electricity costs down as the Middle East war wreaks havoc with gas shipments, its energy secretary said, reports Reuters.

The archipelago nation of 116 million, which has some of the region’s highest energy costs, relies on coal for about 60 percent of its electricity generation.

Sharon Garin told reporters that with the cost of LNG (liquified natural gas) soaring, the country would “temporarily” be forced to lean even more heavily on the carbon-belching fossil fuel.

While hoping to “maximise” the use of local coal, the Philippines was also keeping the option of upping its purchases of coal from top supplier Indonesia, the energy secretary said.