Coal News

A climate change protest off Australia's east coast disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said.Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said around 1,500 people were at the protest, 300 of them in the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle, as part of a 30-hour blockade set to run until 4 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday.Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal behind Indonesia…

“In the first 10 months of 2023, coal shipments to advanced economies fell by 17% y/y, as demand for electricity declined and the share of electricity produced using renewable energy rose. Also slowed economic activity and high energy prices affected electricity demand,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Between January and August, electricity production in advanced economies fell by 4% y/y, according to data from the International Energy Agency. In 2023, measures against high inflation slowed economic growth in advanced economies.

DNV has released the 7th edition of its Energy Transition Outlook highlighting that global energy-related emissions are still climbing and are only likely to peak in 2024. “The pace of the transition is far from fast enough for a net-zero energy system by 2050,” states the report.Over the last five years (2017–2022) renewables met 51% of new energy demand and fossil sources 49%. In absolute terms, fossil-fuel use is still growing.“Our prediction is that emissions from oil use will peak in 2025 and those from natural gas in 2027,” says Remi Eriksen, Group president and CEO.

India's coal industry celebrated the return of its major conference after a three-year pandemic hiatus by presenting a bullish view of demand, rising supply from new mines and strong demand for imports."King coal is coming back and coming with a big bang," Anil Kumar Jha, the chairman of Jindal Power Ltd., told the Coaltrans India conference, held this week for the first time since February 2020.The sentiment was echoed by virtually every speaker at the event, although there was a wide variety of views as to how successful India will be at ramping up coal domestic coal output…

Weak economic activity, a 10.5% increase in domestic coal mining, and a recovery in coal imports from Mongolia via rail alleviated coal shipments to China in 2022. However, the end of China’s zero Covid policy and an anticipated recovery of the Chinese economy have strengthened expectations for the country’s coal imports in 2023. A return of import tariffs, the end of China’s unofficial ban on Australian coal, and the energy transition in China could shape the coal shipment outlook.Coal shipments fell 12.2% in 2022…

The increasing need to secure energy supplies after easing COVID-19 restrictions has pushed China to gradually resume Australian coal imports and urge domestic miners to boost their already record output.The lifting of the unofficial ban on Australian coal imports, which were halted in 2020 in a fit of Chinese pique over questions on COVID's origins, is the clearest sign yet of the renewed ties between them. The resumption is also a reminder of their economic interdependence as Australia's raw materials play a crucial role in fuelling the export-oriented economy of China…

Japan's NYK is set to order two LNG-fueled large coal carriers from Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2025."This ship order is a part of a bulk carrier fleet development aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the NYK Group's oceangoing businesses by 2050," NYK said.NYK says that compared to conventional heavy oil-fueled ships, the two new ships will emit zero sulfur oxides (SOx), 80% less nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 30% less carbon dioxide (CO2).

Talk that China may end its unofficial ban on imports of Australian coal is unlikely to result in any significant increase in shipments to the world's biggest coal buyer.Media reports last week suggested that Beijing is considering lifting the informal embargo, put in place in the second half of 2020 as tensions escalated with Canberra over a series of issues.Coal wasn't the only commodity affected, as China placed restrictions or bans on imports of barley, seafood and wine, among others.The unofficial ban was effective, with Australia going from being China's biggest supplier of coal in July

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said Thursday that a naming ceremony was held for the next-generation coal carrier Energia Azalea at Namura Shipbuilding. The vessel will serve Chugoku Electric Power.The coal carrier is 234.92 meters long, 43 meters wide, has a draft of 20 meters, and has a deadweight tonnage of 99,965 tons.According to MOL, the name Energia Azalea is derived from the official city flower of Hamada-shi, Shimane Prefecture, home to Chugoku Electric Power’s Misumi Power Station…

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) said that a naming ceremony was held Monday for the MOL-operated next-generation coal carrier at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan.The 234.96 meters long vessel, with a  deadweight tonnage of 89,999 tons, will serve Hokuriku Electric Power Company. The vessel was named Hokulink by Hokuriku Electric Power President Matsuda. According to MOL, the name HOKULINK is derived from the name of Hokuriku Electric Power Company’s regional membership services…

A Maltese-flagged ship carrying Russian coal and petroleum coke has docked in the northern Spanish port of Gijon, port authorities said on Monday.Another Maltese-flagged ship, loaded with Russian crude, docked in Cartagena, southern Spain, on Friday, authorities confirmed.The European Union approved sanctions against imports of coal, wood, chemicals and other products such as vodka from Russia on April 8 in a bid to cut trade after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, although the sanctions are not yet fully enforced.On April 27, another Maltese-flagged vessel tried to enter the Port of Barcelona but

Indonesia and Australia, among the world's top coal exporters, have hit their production limits and are unlikely to meet Europe's demand for additional supplies if the European Union bans Russian coal imports, mining executives said on Wednesday.The European Commission proposed on Tuesday new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including a ban on buying Russian coal and on Russian ships entering EU ports, and said it was working on banning oil imports too.The EU depends on Russia for around 45% of its coal imports…

The voluntary shunning of Russian commodities by Western buyers, or self-sanctioning, was expected to start hitting exports of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal from April, but there are already signs that flows are weakening.Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine has prompted numerous Western companies to withdraw from their investments in Russia and scale back or halt their purchases of energy commodities, the mainstay of Russia's economy.While Western governments haven't directly sanctioned energy commodities…

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and other Japan-based firms said on Tuesday that a pilot project to transport hydrogen produced from brown coal in Australia to Japan in the world's first liquefied hydrogen tanker had proven technically feasible.While hydrogen is widely touted as a fuel of the future with zero carbon emissions, it requires intensive energy input, with renewables to produce "green hydrogen". Critics say emissions from brown coal-derived hydrogen are twice that of natural gas.The A$500 million ($364 million) project…

Indonesia has so far allowed 48 coal export vessels to depart, a senior Trade Ministry official said on Tuesday, although the country's broader coal export ban remains in place until the end of the month.The world's biggest thermal coal exporter implemented an export ban on Jan.

Global seaborne coal trade rose by 5.7% last year, driven by rising demand from steelmakers for coking coal and its products as economies began to recover from the coronavirus crisis, Germany's VDKi coal importers lobby group said.Imports and exports of hard coal across the globe stood at 1.18 billion tons in 2021, up from 1.116 billion in 2020, the Verein der Kohlenimporteure (VDKi) estimated.Trade in coking coal rose by 6% to 903 million tons while that of steam coal for power stations was up 4.9% at 277 million tons…

Indonesia's state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) said on Friday that together with the energy ministry it was strengthening a coal delivery monitoring system to ensure enforcement of domestic sales rules and energy security.The world's biggest thermal coal exporter introduced an export ban on Jan. 1 as coal inventories at local power plants were at critically low levels, amid low compliance with a so-called Domestic Market Obligation (DMO).Under the DMO, miners must sell 25% of their output to the local market with a price cap of $70 per tonne for power plants…

Indonesia said on Thursday it would allow 37 vessels loaded with coal to depart, in the strongest sign yet that the world's biggest thermal coal exporter is relaxing its ban on shipments.A senior cabinet minister said in a statement the ban implemented on Jan. 1 had been eased for miners that have met a requirement to sell a portion of their output for local power generation, after the state utility procured enough coal to ensure 15 days of operation."I request that this is supervised closely so this also becomes a moment for us to improve domestic governance…

Chinese thermal coal futures fell on Tuesday after Indonesia, the world's biggest thermal coal exporter, eased a ban on overseas shipments that surprised buyers at the start of the year, alleviating concerns about supply disruptions.The export ban was introduced after state power utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) reported critically low coal stockpiles amid complaints miners were not fulfilling their responsibilities to supply fuel to the company. Driven by concerns about the impact to their economies which depend on coal-fired power generation…

Indonesia, the world's biggest thermal coal exporter, sent shockwaves through global energy markets this week by suspending exports of the fuel in January due to critically low coal supplies at domestic power plants.WHY DID INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES DECIDE TO ACT?Coal makes up around 60% of Indonesia's energy mix and its energy ministry said by the start of 2022 only 35,000 tonnes of coal had been delivered to state power firm PLN.PLN had secured 13.9 million tonnes by Wednesday but needs another six million tonnes to ensure a 20-day stock level of 20 million tonnes.

Indonesian authorities on Wednesday postponed a meeting with coal miners to discuss a ban on coal exports, as scores of ships moored off the coast due to load remained in limbo.The world's top exporter of thermal coal and China's largest overseas supplier on Saturday announced a ban on exports in January to avoid outages at its own generators.The ban sent thermal coal futures in China surging reflecting concerns it could threaten energy security in some of the world's biggest…

Indonesia's coal supply situation remains critical, the state utility said, following the country's ban on exports of the fuel that drove up prices in top customer China on Tuesday.Indonesia, the world's top exporter of the coal used in power plants and China's largest overseas supplier, on Saturday announced the ban on exports during January to avoid outages at domestic generators. Indonesian authorities are set to reexamine the export ban on Wednesday.Late on Monday, Indonesia's state-owned electric utility Perusahan Listrik Negara (PLN) warned that "this critical period is not yet over"…

The world's leading exporter of thermal coal on Saturday banned the shipments because of concerns it could not meet its own power demand, prompting President Joko Widodo on Monday to threaten to revoke business permits for any miners who failed to meet domestic market requirements.In turn, Indonesian coal miners want a quick resolution as fuel prices rise and and potential disruptions to the energy supplies of some of the world's biggest economies loom.The wider risk is of a knock-on impact on economic linchpins China…