Thursday, 18 Aug 2011
A German utility source told Montel that German river levels are still at significantly low levels although, with utility demand muted in the summer period, there is currently no marked impact on coal supply to plants.
German weather service said that river levels across Germany are generally between 5 to 50% below average, although levels on the river Elbe at Torgau are more than 50% below average, with a depth on Tuesday of around 150cm.
The utility coal and freight analyst said that “At the moment, it seems that everything is okay, as utilities are carrying out maintenance at this time of year, so demand is not so strong.”
According to official government forecasts, water levels at Kaub, on the river Rhine below Koblenz, may drop to below 190cm in the week to August 20, after initially rising to more than 200cm in the coming week.
Kaub levels which were last seen at 194cm are an important indicator, as it is one of the widest and shallowest sections of the Rhine. When water levels fall below 200cm, utilities or coal suppliers are liable to pay barge operators a low water premium and levels on some river sections are currently at around 180cm.
(sourced Montel)
Showing posts with label world coal markets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world coal markets. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
World's major Coal Consumption by Country
Major Coal Consumption by Country
Rank Country consumption (Million Short Tons)
1 China 3,474,665.00
2 United States 1,000,423.60
3 India 685,647.56
4 Germany 249,696.67
5 Russian Federation 222,630.52
6 South Africa 199,069.72
7 Japan 181,498.88
8 Australia 149,671.84
9 Poland 141,119.00
10 Korea, Republic Of 113,293.36
11 Turkey 102,527.08
12 Kazakhstan 87,355.97
13 Greece 71,083.65
14 Indonesia 71,071.52
15 Taiwan, Province Of China 66,239.85
16 Ukraine 63,991.38
17 Czech Republic 57,928.67
18 United Kingdom 53,826.97
19 Canada 51,910.05
20 Serbia 43,453.11
Data sourced : United States Energy Information Administration
Rank Country consumption (Million Short Tons)
1 China 3,474,665.00
2 United States 1,000,423.60
3 India 685,647.56
4 Germany 249,696.67
5 Russian Federation 222,630.52
6 South Africa 199,069.72
7 Japan 181,498.88
8 Australia 149,671.84
9 Poland 141,119.00
10 Korea, Republic Of 113,293.36
11 Turkey 102,527.08
12 Kazakhstan 87,355.97
13 Greece 71,083.65
14 Indonesia 71,071.52
15 Taiwan, Province Of China 66,239.85
16 Ukraine 63,991.38
17 Czech Republic 57,928.67
18 United Kingdom 53,826.97
19 Canada 51,910.05
20 Serbia 43,453.11
Data sourced : United States Energy Information Administration
Sunday, March 13, 2011
US, world coal markets still assessing Japan earthquake impact
Mar13,2011/421 pm EST/2121 GMT
Washington(Platts): International coal markets were mixed on news of Friday's catastrophic earthquake in Japan, even as many participants tried to assess the potential effects of the disaster and resulting tsunamis.
The country imported about 165 million short tons of coal in 2009, making it the largest importer of both steam and metallurgical coal, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency. The quake comes at a time when Pacific coal markets have been particularly sensitive because of flooding and a recent typhoon that has curtailed Australian exports.
Coal market participants in the US and abroad said Friday that it was simply too soon to know how the earthquake might affect the country's coal-importing and coal-burning infrastructure.
The speculation drove up prices as Platts assessed Q2-11 Newcastle coal at $128.25/mt on Friday, up $2.35/mt. (See story, 2023 GMT). Coking coal prices across the Asia-Pacific markets, meanwhile, slipped.
Still, many were keeping an eye on the status of Japan's nuclear power plants, steel mills and import terminals.
"The Japanese are heavily dependent on coal-fired generation," Ted O'Brien, vice president of Doyle Trading Consultants in New York, said. "You could see thermal demand ramp up if there is any structural damage to the nuclear industry, but that is all dependent on their ability to import the coal."
While steel mills could likely continue operating with damage -- or, at least, continue stockpiling coal -- more sensitive nuclear plants had automatically shut down after the 8.9-magnitude quake that hit northeastern Japan at 2:46 p.m. JST (0546 GMT).
All seven units of Tokyo Electric Power's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 8.2-GW nuclear power plant were shut down after a 2007 quake, the fourth of which was just reopened for commercial operation in February. Eleven of the country's 28 nuclear units had been shut down as of 2:30 p.m. GMT, according to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Japan.
Coal accounted for 22% of the country's total energy consumption in 2007, ranking it second behind oil, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Japanese steel producers, meanwhile, told Platts that at least one plant had been unaffected by the quake; while others had been closed, were operating at reduced rates or could not be reached by telephone. (See story, 1445 GMT)
Lower steel production could mean that coking coal is redirected to other countries, though reconstruction efforts would eventually increase the amount of domestic consumption, market sources said. The country is second only to China in both pig iron and crude steel production.
"That steel production will have to resurface elsewhere around the world and the coking coal demand that would have been taken by Japan would be supplemented by other countries," O'Brien said.
Japan ranked ninth among importers of US coal through the first three quarters of 2010, according to the Energy Information Administration. The 4.1 million short tons it imported from US producers accounted for about 4% of total US coal exports during that time.
--Peter Gartrell, Platts
The country imported about 165 million short tons of coal in 2009, making it the largest importer of both steam and metallurgical coal, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency. The quake comes at a time when Pacific coal markets have been particularly sensitive because of flooding and a recent typhoon that has curtailed Australian exports.
Coal market participants in the US and abroad said Friday that it was simply too soon to know how the earthquake might affect the country's coal-importing and coal-burning infrastructure.
The speculation drove up prices as Platts assessed Q2-11 Newcastle coal at $128.25/mt on Friday, up $2.35/mt. (See story, 2023 GMT). Coking coal prices across the Asia-Pacific markets, meanwhile, slipped.
Still, many were keeping an eye on the status of Japan's nuclear power plants, steel mills and import terminals.
"The Japanese are heavily dependent on coal-fired generation," Ted O'Brien, vice president of Doyle Trading Consultants in New York, said. "You could see thermal demand ramp up if there is any structural damage to the nuclear industry, but that is all dependent on their ability to import the coal."
While steel mills could likely continue operating with damage -- or, at least, continue stockpiling coal -- more sensitive nuclear plants had automatically shut down after the 8.9-magnitude quake that hit northeastern Japan at 2:46 p.m. JST (0546 GMT).
All seven units of Tokyo Electric Power's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 8.2-GW nuclear power plant were shut down after a 2007 quake, the fourth of which was just reopened for commercial operation in February. Eleven of the country's 28 nuclear units had been shut down as of 2:30 p.m. GMT, according to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Japan.
Coal accounted for 22% of the country's total energy consumption in 2007, ranking it second behind oil, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Japanese steel producers, meanwhile, told Platts that at least one plant had been unaffected by the quake; while others had been closed, were operating at reduced rates or could not be reached by telephone. (See story, 1445 GMT)
Lower steel production could mean that coking coal is redirected to other countries, though reconstruction efforts would eventually increase the amount of domestic consumption, market sources said. The country is second only to China in both pig iron and crude steel production.
"That steel production will have to resurface elsewhere around the world and the coking coal demand that would have been taken by Japan would be supplemented by other countries," O'Brien said.
Japan ranked ninth among importers of US coal through the first three quarters of 2010, according to the Energy Information Administration. The 4.1 million short tons it imported from US producers accounted for about 4% of total US coal exports during that time.
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