Coal’s comeback perseveres through mid-2022: Analysis

Coal’s comeback perseveres through mid-2022: Analysis

American coal prices in the aftermath of the coronavirus have reached unprecedented highs and world events are notching prices even higher [see “Russia-Ukraine war likely to bolster U.S. coal imports,” Trains News Wire, March 28, 2022]. While coal supply remains tight, continued favorable pricing may increase mining-company confidence to tap into reserves made cost-effective by today’s spot-market […]

U.S. coal companies struggle to cash in on Europe crunch

U.S. coal producers are seeking to boost exports to cash in on soaring prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but face big headwinds including shipping bottlenecks, labor shortages, and a dismal long-term outlook discouraging investments in new mines.FILE PHOTO: Heavy equipment excavate anthracite coal from a strip mine in New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, […]

US coal output forecast to rise by 3% this year

US coal production is forecast to increase this year, buoyed by a strong export market and inventory replenishment in the power generation sector, says the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). In its ‘Short-Term Energy Outlook’, the EIA states that US coal production will increase by 20-million short tons (3%) in 2022 to 598-million short tons and by seven-million short tons (1%) in 2023.ADVERTISEMENT Coal exports should do well […]

US coal to boost production, lose generation in 2022: EIA

US coal production is projected to rise 3% in 2022 even as coal-fired generation decreases as domestic utilities seek to replenish depleted stockpiles, the US Energy Information Administration said May 10. “The forecast increase occurs despite our expectation that coal use in the power sector will decline,” EIA said in its May Short-Term Energy Outlook. […]

US thermal coal exports hit one-year high in March: Census

Thermal coal exports rose to a one-year high of 3.4 million mt in March amid disrupted global trade flows after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US Census Bureau data showed May 5. The volume was 19.4% higher than the previous month but 9.8% lower than the year-ago month. On a year-to-date basis, thermal exports were 32.9% […]

Economic fallout from Ukraine war could bring business to U.S. railroads: Analysis

Russia’s self-inflicted economic recession resulting from the Ukraine war will likely undo more than a decade’s worth of economic progress, as other countries end dealings with the Russians.  For the U.S., this is an opportunity to increase exports, bolstering its relevance as a swing supplier. Coal and grains in particular are commodities that drive the […]

Russia’s gas supply cuts in Europe could fuel more US coal-to-gas switching

The US power market may be in for another wave of coal-to-gas switching this summer as potential replacement fuel demand from Western Europe drives global coal prices higher. The price pressure could come following a recent but potentially extended suspension of natural gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria, and potentially other Western European countries, by […]