US coal exports ticking higher, pushed by high petcoke prices, China

US coal exports ticking higher, pushed by high petcoke prices, China

US coal exports in April were 24.3% higher year on year at 6.2 million mt, which was down 10.2% from March, according to US Census data released June 9. The upward trend was also noticeable in the year-to-date comparison, which is up 8.1% compared with the same four-month period in 2020. On an annualized basis, […]

US met coal miners expect more upside

US coking coal producers say spot prices have yet to hit a ceiling, despite the lull in China, as buyers digest surging offer levels and plans by top economic planning body the NDRC to stabilise steel and iron ore prices. While last week’s US low-volatile offers approaching $300/t cfr China and a dip in Chinese steel […]

US coal exports drop 7% YOY in Q4’20; China emerges among top importers

U.S. coal shipments to some of the country’s top importers increased significantly in the fourth quarter of 2020, with China recording a triple-digit uptick amid its escalating trade dispute with Australia. Total U.S. coal exports during the three-month period fell 7.3% year over year to 17.4 million tonnes from 18.8 Mt, according to an analysis […]

China’s US coal imports jump 748% in Q4’20 amid Australian trade dispute

China emerged as one of the top importers of U.S. coal in the fourth quarter of 2020 as the country banned Australian coal from entering its territories amid diplomatic tensions. U.S. coal exports in the three-month period totaled 17.4 million tonnes, down 7.3% year over year but 25.1% higher quarter over quarter, according to data […]

China Suffers Widespread Blackouts Amid Coal Supply Shortage

Provinces across China are reportedly grappling with crippling power shortages prompted by a surge in power demand from a stunning ramp up in industrial activity, an especially harsh winter, and tight coal supplies, which may be exacerbated by a ban on Australian coal.  Power shortages have been reported in Zhejiang province, an economic powerhouse in […]

China’s coal problem is youth

A new International Energy Agency report highlights one big challenge facing China as the world’s largest CO2 emitter begins implementing its national emissions trading system: The country’s coal fleet is very young. Why it matters: IEA’s analysis this week warns that while newer facilities are far more efficient than older models, the average plant age “potentially locks in large […]

A New Coal Boom in China

SummaryAfter years of putting the brakes on the amount of coal plants newly proposed and permitted for construction, China is again stepping on the gas, according to a survey of coal plant development in China from January 1 to June 15, 2020, by Global Energy Monitor and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean […]

1 big thing: Coal’s global persistence…

Global coal consumption dipped by 0.6% in 2019, the fourth decline in six years, but the most carbon-intensive fuel remains by far the largest source of power generation in world, per BP’s latest global data review. Why it matters: Coal’s persistence in the global mix, even as it loses some ground, is among the major reasons why the […]