China needs more coal

Mon, Feb06, 2012

BEIJING: China should increase coal production and imports and curb exports to ensure ample supplies for power generation, as the country heads for another year of power shortage, the China Electricity Council said.

Coal consumption by power plants will grow some 150 million tonnes in 2012, which requires new coal supplies of more than 300 million tonnes in the domestic market, the council, an association representing power firms, said in a report on its website (www.cec.org.cn).

The government should control the price of coal shipped to power plants, raise electricity prices in a timely manner, approve construction of more coal transport railways and power transmission lines, and deepen power demand management and restructure the economy to help balance the power market, it said.

The council forecast maximum power shortfalls of 30 – 40 gigawatts this year, similar to peak shortfalls of more than 30 GW in 2011.

It estimated that power demand will grow by about 9.5 percent from a year earlier to 5.14 trillion kilowatt hours this year and power generating capacity to increase by 85 GW to 1,140 GW by year-end.

China’s power consumption rose 11.7 percent on year to 4.69 trillion kWh in 2011 and it added about 90 GW of generating capacity.

The country overtook Japan as the world’s top coal importer for the first time ever last year, importing a record 182.4 million tonnes of the black hydrocarbon, dwarfing Japan’s 175.2 million tonnes.

China also exported 14.66 million tonnes of coal last year, mainly to users in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, Chinese customs data showed.

China is the world’s largest coal producer and consumer, and nearly half its production of more than 3.2 billion tonnes is burned by power plants.

(sourced Dawn.com)

Chinese coke data

Saturday, 12 Nov 2011

Item	Oct'10	Oct'11	YoY	J-O'10	J-O'11	YoY
Coke	32.29	35.74	10.7%	315.72	358.026	13.4%

In million tonnes

source:steelhome

Shandong Province to shut down small coal mines below 300,000 mt capacity

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

Shandong Coal Industry Administration in China's Shandong Province is proposing to upgrade small coal mines with annual production capacities under 300,000 mt in the province in order to expand their capacities. By the end of 2015, all coal mines in the province with annual capacities lower than 300,000 mt are to be shut down.

To control mining accidents, the local authorities in Shandong are keeping a close eye on local mining activities and have issued very strict requirements for accident reports and accountability. As regards illegal mining activities, the mines and the relevant responsible persons will be faced with sanctions.

(sourced steelorbis)

Chinese coke futures up by 4pct

Wednesday, 24 Aug 2011

It is reported that coke main contract 1201 opens low at CNY 2,245 today and fluctuate downward around CNY 2,000. The afternoon session closes at CNY 1,977 off 3.90%.

Spot coke market performs stably with low stockpile. The second grade met coke prices in north and east market stand unchanged in the range of CNY 1900 per tonne to CNY 2040 per tonne.

While steel mills in Northeast China begins storage for winter, pulling up coking coal inventory. The railway capacity has to be shared with heating coal and food which will place more strains on coking coal and coke transportation.

(sourced MySteel)

China's Feb coke export at 240,000t

Mar14, 2011 |en.sxcoal

China exported 240,000 tonnes coke in Feb, increasing 50,000 tonnes from that in Jan, showed data issued by the General Administration of Customs.

Coke exports over the first two months surged 380.1 percent to 430,000 tonnes, data showed.