U.S. Thermal Coal Exports to Asia & Africa Surge as Shipments to Europe Fall

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U.S. exports of thermal coal to Asia and Africa surged within the first half of 2024, serving to to drive general U.S. coal exports (thermal and metallurgical) to 53 million quick tons (MMst) from 49 MMst within the first half of 2023.

Exports of thermal coal from america to Asia elevated by 19% (2.3 MMst) within the first half of 2024 in contrast with the identical interval in 2023. The rise was pushed primarily by higher deliveries to India and China. India accounted for 57% of those exports to Asia in 2023 and continued to obtain giant quantities of U.S. thermal coal within the first half of 2024, led by industrial prospects within the brickmaking sector. Chinese language energy corporations accounted for a lot of the remainder of the rise.

Thermal coal is usually burned to generate steam for the manufacturing of electrical energy, whereas metallurgical coal is a uncooked materials used to generate coke, a key ingredient in making metal.

Asia has acquired extra U.S. thermal coal than some other area since 2017, when it overtook Europe, which beforehand had been the highest vacation spot in yearly since 2009.

Exports of thermal coal from america to Africa elevated 60%, from 3.3 MMst within the first six months of 2023 to five.3 MMst in the identical interval of 2024. Going again to 2000, U.S. exporters have by no means shipped greater than 5 MMst of thermal coal to Africa in the course of the first six months of the yr, and U.S. thermal coal exports to Africa have solely exceeded 4 MMst as soon as, in 2019. Within the first half of 2024, U.S. exporters shipped nearly all (98%) of this thermal coal to Egypt and Morocco. Within the first six months of 2024, exporters shipped 2.8 MMst to Morocco and a pair of.4 MMst to Egypt, in contrast with 1.4 MMst and 1.8 MMst, respectively, in the identical months of 2023. A serious cause for elevated exports of U.S. thermal coal into North Africa has been sturdy demand by trade, principally from cement vegetation and brickmakers. These prospects worth the excessive warmth content material of U.S. thermal coal, which makes their manufacturing operations extra environment friendly.

U.S. thermal coal exports to Europe rose in 2022 and within the first half of 2023 attributable to sanctions on the acquisition of vitality from Russia following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Exports from america to Europe elevated from 6.4 MMst in 2021 to 14 MMst in 2022, when sanctions on Russia took effect. U.S. exports to Europe totaled 10.5 MMst in 2023; nonetheless, that resurgence has pale. Within the first half of 2024, U.S. thermal coal exports to Europe totaled 2.4 MMst, 63% lower than throughout the identical interval in 2023 attributable to weak demand associated to a gentle winter, higher use of pure fuel by energy corporations, and elevated technology from renewable sources.

Principal contributor: Jonathan Church. Article from Today in Energy.