Tuesday, 07 Feb 2012
Reuters reported that steam coal prices made modest gains of around 75 cents per tonne on Monday as the arrival of more cargoes balanced against a freeze across much of Europe, which drove up gas and oil prices.
A February delivery DES ARA parcel of multi origin, including American coal, was bid at USD 96.75 and offered at USD 98.00, up 75 cents.
A March DES ARA for coal was bid at USD 96.50 and offered at USD 100.50, down 50 cents.
A March South African cargo was bid at USD 105.00, down 50 cents.
Several European utilities and utility/traders signed term contracts two years ago to import American coal, which have kept stockpiles swollen through a winter that has been unusually mild until the latest cold snap.
As more US and Colombian cargoes arrive in Europe while spot buying remains weak, some downward pressure is expected on prices. How far this will be offset by a resumption of large scale Chinese imports, remains to be seen.
Floods in Australia and heavy rains during the past month in Indonesia are already delaying shipments, but so far end users have not been compelled to seek replacement tonnes.
(Sourced from Reuters)
Showing posts with label European coal power plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European coal power plants. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Spain 2011 thermal coal imports seen at 10 mln T
Tue Oct 18, 2011
* LNG resold to Japan, Europe
* All Spanish coal-burning plants running
* Dry weather also increases coal burn
MADRID, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Spain is on course to import 10 million tonnes of thermal coal in 2011 due to better margins on burning coal than liquefied natural gas, an executive from Spanish utility Iberdrola said on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual Coaltrans conference in Madrid, utility sources said they have renegotiated LNG take-or-pay contracts and resold cargoes, mainly to Japan but also to Europe and elsewhere in Asia.
"All of Spain's coal-fired power plants are currently burning," said Jorge Palomar, a Madrid-based executive in Iberdrola's coal and biomass trading department.
Data from national grid operator REE showed coal plants were providing 21.1 percent of Spain's electricity by 1150 GMT, which compares to an average of 8 percent for 2010 as a whole.
"Last year, it was very wet so there was more hydro available, this (year) it's been dry."
Utilities can sell hydropower at a discount to electricity generated from coal and gas, so a lack of it over the recent hot, dry summer has forced up wholesale Spanish power prices .
Spain's coal imports have languished in recent years and many analysts expect them to be compromised this year by the introduction of market regulations favouring domestically produced coal.
"Let's wait and see what happens next year. Spain's increase in coal imports is not enough to compensate for lack of demand across Europe," said a European trader who supplies Mediterranean utilities.
(sourced Reuters)
* LNG resold to Japan, Europe
* All Spanish coal-burning plants running
* Dry weather also increases coal burn
MADRID, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Spain is on course to import 10 million tonnes of thermal coal in 2011 due to better margins on burning coal than liquefied natural gas, an executive from Spanish utility Iberdrola said on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual Coaltrans conference in Madrid, utility sources said they have renegotiated LNG take-or-pay contracts and resold cargoes, mainly to Japan but also to Europe and elsewhere in Asia.
"All of Spain's coal-fired power plants are currently burning," said Jorge Palomar, a Madrid-based executive in Iberdrola's coal and biomass trading department.
Data from national grid operator REE showed coal plants were providing 21.1 percent of Spain's electricity by 1150 GMT, which compares to an average of 8 percent for 2010 as a whole.
"Last year, it was very wet so there was more hydro available, this (year) it's been dry."
Utilities can sell hydropower at a discount to electricity generated from coal and gas, so a lack of it over the recent hot, dry summer has forced up wholesale Spanish power prices .
Spain's coal imports have languished in recent years and many analysts expect them to be compromised this year by the introduction of market regulations favouring domestically produced coal.
"Let's wait and see what happens next year. Spain's increase in coal imports is not enough to compensate for lack of demand across Europe," said a European trader who supplies Mediterranean utilities.
(sourced Reuters)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Colombia coal must look to Asia for demand - Expert
Monday, 07 Mar 2011
Reuters quoted an energy expert said Colombian coal producers should look to re balance exports to Asia since 50GW to 100GW of European coal power plants are seen shutting over the next 10 years.
Europe remains the main destination for high quality thermal coal from Colombia, the world's No 5 coal exporter, although the Latin American country saw a massive increase in exports to Asia last year.
Mr Malcolm Keay a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies said "The short term trend over the last few years has been relatively favorable for Colombia. The situation will persist for a while but the bar is very short, maybe over the next three years."
He said that "I don't think the good times will last the dominant, future trend is likely to be environmental regulation, the impact on investment on new power generation and the impact of the retirement of old, coal fire generation."
Mr Keay said he expects 50GW to 100GW of coal fired plants to go offline in the next 10 years due to environmental regulations. At least 26 coal fire schemes have been suspended or canceled in the last three years.
Mr Keay a former head of the industry group World Coal Association said the main issues for new coal fired plants in Europe are low electricity demand, environmental uncertainty and growth of renewables and nuclear energy.
Europe remains the main destination for high quality thermal coal from Colombia, the world's No 5 coal exporter, although the Latin American country saw a massive increase in exports to Asia last year.
Mr Malcolm Keay a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies said "The short term trend over the last few years has been relatively favorable for Colombia. The situation will persist for a while but the bar is very short, maybe over the next three years."
He said that "I don't think the good times will last the dominant, future trend is likely to be environmental regulation, the impact on investment on new power generation and the impact of the retirement of old, coal fire generation."
Mr Keay said he expects 50GW to 100GW of coal fired plants to go offline in the next 10 years due to environmental regulations. At least 26 coal fire schemes have been suspended or canceled in the last three years.
Mr Keay a former head of the industry group World Coal Association said the main issues for new coal fired plants in Europe are low electricity demand, environmental uncertainty and growth of renewables and nuclear energy.
He said that "Many plants will close starting from 2015 and running until about 2023. At the middle of the decade, a lot of factors are going to be working against coal." (sourced:Reuters)
Tags : environmental regulation, World Coal Association, coal power plant, Asia
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