U.S. railroads say heatwave to reignite coal shipments this year

U.S. railroad operators expect heatwaves across the northern hemisphere to reignite coal shipments as people crank up the air conditioning to beat the heat. Grid operators from Texas to California have been relying more on natural gas and renewables to generate power, but the surge in demand could push up natural gas prices and make […]

US railroad NS expects coal exports to rise

Eastern US railroad Norfolk Southern (NS) expects coal volume to rise in the back half of 2023 as strength in export markets offsets weaker utility demand. The railroad expects production at NS-served coal mines to rise to meet export demand, which may increase shipments. But NS forecasts that seaborne coal prices may drop Utility coal […]

US Hampton Roads coal exports rose again in June

Coal export loadings at Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose again in June, with two of the region’s terminals handling more coal than a year earlier. A little over 2.9mn short tons (2.63mn metric tonnes) of coal was loaded at the port last month, the Virginia Maritime Association estimates. That was up from 2.62mn st in June […]

EIA lowers US coal burn forecasts

he US Energy Information Administration (EIA) lowered its US coal consumption and generation forecasts for this year and 2024 as natural gas prices have been lower than expected. The agency today revised its forecast for overall coal consumption down to 410.4mn short tons (372.3mn metric tonnes) in 2023 and 397.4mn st in 2024, from 512.6mn […]

US coking coal exports continue to rise in May

US coking coal exports rose by 4.9pc on the year and 18.1pc on the month to 4.3mn t in May, driven by increases in shipments to India, Brazil and China. Exports to India totalled 897,717t in May, up by 27.6pc on the year as stronger demand for finished steel from Europe drove Indian steel exports up […]

Coal transport: Eastern rail rates mixed

Rail rates to US east coast export terminals rose this month as some buyers reentered global markets, while domestic rates dropped as utility demand remained limited. The rate to ship coal from the Pittsburgh Seam and Central Appalachia to export terminals rose by 15¢/short ton to $29.75/st and $35.75/st, respectively, compared with May assessments. Rising […]

BNSF must haul 4.2mn st of Montana coal: STB

US rail regulators have ordered western US railroad BNSF to haul 4.2mn short tons of coal this year from producer Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s (NTEC) mine in Montana to a Canadian export terminal. The delivery of those 4.2mn st (3.8mn metric tonnes) must be spread equally throughout the year at a pace of 23 trains/month, […]

US thermal coal exports resume gains in May

US thermal coal exports resumed year-on-year increases in May despite flagging demand from buyers in Europe. Steam coal shipments climbed to just over 4mn short tons (3.63mn t) from 3.07mn st in May 2022, according to US Commerce Department data released on 6 July. This followed an 11pc decrease in exports in April. May’s year-on-year gain was […]

Hampton Roads coal exports rise again

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose from year-earlier levels for the sixth consecutive month in May as volumes from one of the region’s three coal terminals hit an 11-month high. Terminals at the port of Hampton Roads — one of the largest coal export ports in the US — handled an estimated 2.96mn […]

US west coast ports, union reach tentative deal

A union representing thousand of workers at US west coast ports has reached a tentative labor deal with port operators, which could resolve some slowdowns in the movement of goods in the region. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) reached a tentative agreement late yesterday for a six-year […]