U.S. coal export outlook remains strong as Germany looks to burn more coal: Analysis

Europe Runs Back To Coal After Putin Cuts Off Natural Gas

European nations are firing up idled coal-powered plants to make up for lost energy supplies after Russia slashed natural gas exports to Europe in June. Russian state-backed energy companies cut liquefied natural gas exports last week, leaving Europe in search of alternative energy sources. Germany, Austria and the Netherlands recently announced moves to increase energy production from […]

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 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. […]

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 […]

US coal exports to reach 3-year high amid war in Ukraine: EIA

Pointing to supply disruptions amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Energy Information Administration April 12 revised upward their 2022 US coal export projections to three-year high 89 million st. The estimated volume is 4.5% higher than 2021 exports and the highest since 92.9 million st in 2019, according to the EIA’s April Short-Term Energy Outlook. […]

Coal: Sanctions open the chute for more US exports to Europe

The US coal industry is primed to boost exports after the European Union targeted Russian coal for additional sanctions Tuesday, leading one executive to say “this bodes extremely well” for domestic producers. Meanwhile, Central Appalachia coal prices heated up to a 13-year high of $106 a ton, the highest levels since 2008, while Illinois basin […]

Russia-Ukraine war likely to bolster U.S. coal exports: Analysis

U.S. railroads are hauling more coal this year, and coal analysts say international demand is likely to strengthen U.S. coal exports in part to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Energy Information Administration’s latest outlook expects U.S. coal production to rise 4% in 2022 to 604 million short tons. It anticipates the U.S. will export […]