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Wednesday, 23 July 14
HARD COAL 2013: THE WORLD'S SECOND-MOST IMPORTANT ENERGY SOURCE AND GUARANTOR FOR THE SECURITY OF ENERGY SUPPLIES DURING TIMES OF CRISIS
Hard coal is again in 2013 the fastest-growing fossil primary energy source in the world. As shown in the BP Statistical Review 2014, it covered about 30% of the world’s demand for primary energy of 12.7 billion TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent).
According to the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), coal, which has a share of 56% of the reserves and about 89% of the resources of all fossil primary energy sources, has the greatest potential among all of the non-renewable energy sources and has been declared to be the most important energy source.
Hard coal is also broadly distributed over many regions, and calculations by the VDKi based on today’s quantities, prices, and costs indicate that there are sufficient quantities to last for at least another 110 years. Even if a significant coal-exporting country were to prohibit the export of coal tomorrow (speaking theoretically), producing countries on other continents would be able to compensate the loss without any problems.
The VDKi would like to call attention to the fact that the debate on the security of supply has become one-sided and closely focused on securing supply using primary energy sources tied to pipelines. The primary topic is the security of our electric power supply. Coal has a number of advantages in this respect. In contrast to renewable energies, it is available at all times. Moreover, it is not tied to pipeline facilities, can be stockpiled as an energy source right at power plant sites, is found all around the world, and there are many and varied means of transport across both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.
Global hard coal consumption rises by 3%
According to initial estimates by BP in its Statistical Review 2014, global energy consumption of 12.7bn TOE (= tonne oil equivalent = 1 tonne OE = oil equivalent = 1.43 TCE) in 2013 rose by a little less than 2.3% in comparison with 2012 (12.5bn TOE). The background to this development is the low or non-existent growth in many OECD countries such as in Europe and Japan (with the exception of the USA). Coal consumption continued to increase in China (+4.4%) and India (+3.8%), on the other hand, although growth was more moderate than in previous years.
Coal consumption once again posted the strongest rise. In comparison with 2012, there was growth of 3%. The decline in coal consumption in the USA by 11.9% in 2012 was followed by growth of 4.3% in 2013. In terms of the average growth rates of 3.5% over the past five years, coal is and remains the Number 1 source of primary energy in the 21st century and has been the second-most important source of primary energy in the world since 2012, surpassed only by oil.
Estimates by the EU Commission indicate that total primary energy consumption in Europe declined by 0.6% (98m TOE) to 1.49bn TOE. The initial estimates indicate that there has been virtually no change in the mix of primary energy sources used for electric power generation in the EU 28. Hard coal and lignite together maintained their share of 27%, while hard coal alone posted a share of 19% in spite of the massive expansion of renewable energies. However, hard coal output in Europe declined by 15m tonnes to 114m tonnes. On the other hand, hard coal imports to the EU 28 rose by 3m tonnes (+1.4%) to 216m tonnes.
Seaborne world trade in steam coal grows by 6% World trade in hard coal totalling 1,237m tonnes in 2013 represented an increase of 73m tonnes (about 6%) in comparison with the previous year. Seaborne and internal trade posted the following development: in 2013, seaborne trade rose by 60m tonnes to 1,142m tonnes (= +5.5%), while internal trade increased by 18m tonnes (= +16%) to 95m tonnes. The steam coal market grew by 4% (37m tonnes) to a total of 863m tonnes.
Projections from the IEA show that the demand for coal will grow worldwide by an average of 2.3% p.a. over the coming years.
Preliminary calculations by the VDKi for the first four months of 2014 indicate that the seaborne hard coal market worldwide grew by just under 3% (10m tonnes) in comparison with the same period of the previous year.
Coking coal market grows by 9%
Worldwide crude steel production in 2013 reached the level of 1,607m tonnes, a new record. The increase by 3.5% (59m tonnes) occurred mainly in Asia (+6%) and in the Middle East (+2.5%). Crude steel production in Europe, North and South America, Russia and Korea declined by between 1.8% and 4.4%. Pig iron production, the decisive factor for the consumption of coking coal, PCI coal and coke, rose by 52m tonnes (about 5%) to 1,164m tonnes. The coking coal market increased correspondingly by 23m tonnes (+9%) to 279m tonnes.
With the exception of Australia, there were no fundamental changes in the supplier structure. Australia’s market share increased by another 8 percentage points and has now reached the mark of 61%. The USA again lost market share to Australia and now holds a share of 20%.
Hard coal and coke imports to Germany rise by 10%, hard coal consumption increases by 4%
The demand for domestic German and imported hard coal rose by 2.4m TCE (4.1%) to almost 61m TCE in 2013. About 86% of the demand for hard coal was covered by imports; domestic coal today covers only about 14%. Total imports of hard coal and coke reached a new record level of 52.8m tonnes in 2013, an increase by 4.9m tonnes (10%) over 2012.
Most of the hard coal sales go to power plants as the dominant buyers (71%; previous year 66%) and the iron and steel industry (26%; previous year 30%); the heating market (4%) plays only a subordinate role. The import demand for steam coal was covered primarily by Russia, the USA and Colombia, while the primary supplier countries for coking coal were Australia (45%) and the USA (30%).
Power generation from hard coal-fired power plants rose substantially in 2013 thanks to the favourable price situation in comparison with gas and the low CO2 certificate prices in European emission trading. Hard coal-fired power plants supplied 124 TWh of electric power, about 8 TWh (6.5%) more than in the past year, giving hard coal a share of more than 19% in the energy mix in 2013.
The balance in power exchange (total exports less imports) in 2013 amounted to about 34 TWh, an increase of 46% over 2012.
The price advantage of coal over gas (difference between the so-called clean dark spread less clean spark spread) in recent years has fluctuated between €-15 and €-25 per MWh. However, this difference favouring hard coal must not be allowed to obscure the fact that the revenues from power generation are inadequate because of the artificially low prices on the EEX and their unfair competitive advantage created by the priority given to feed-in of renewable energies.
A German hard coal-fired power plant has generation costs of between €50/MWH and €60/MWh, depending on its age. At the moment, however, it receives only about €35/MWh for the generated base load, i.e. it can usually achieve only very low contribution margins, if any at all, with the consequence that power revenues fall far short of covering the total operating costs.
This has prompted Dr Wolfgang Cieslik, VDKi CEO, to call on politicians for action:
“We urgently need a form of regulation which will guarantee hard coal-fired power plants a return to profitability in the long term as well because this is the only course which can guarantee the security and profitability of power supply and the successful realisation of the energy turnaround.”
Despite the increase in steam coal imports of 3.3% in Q1 2014, the VDKi estimates that only 37m tonnes of steam coal and 51m tonnes of hard coal and coke in total will be imported during all of 2014.
Price developments: A surplus in supply meets moderate demand
Developments in which a worldwide surplus in the supply of coal runs into demand which is not growing fast enough began in 2011, and the trend continued in 2013. Prices remained under pressure in 2013 as a result. From October 2013 to today (beginning of July 2014) alone, prices for steam coal fell from US$89/tonne to US$72/tonne, about 20%. The same is true of coking coal prices. Both coking coal and coke prices declined in 2013 because of the general slump in demand accompanied by a simultaneous expansion in supply.
While prices between US$160 and US$165/tonne were still being paid for coking coal at the beginning of 2013, this level had decreased to US$138/tonne by the end of 2013. This development continues to hold sway in 2014; as of the middle of 2014, spot prices for HCC quality had fallen to US$116/tonne.
- German Coal Importer Association -
About the German Coal Importer Association
The Verein der Kohlenimporteure e.V. (VDKi) is the lobby organisation for the hard coal import market in Germany. Its German and European members come from the sectors power, industry, trade and logistics. The Association currently has 78 members who consume about 70% of the German demand for hard coal of approximately 61 million tonnes in their facilities. The VDKi clearly represents the major part of the hard coal market (German domestic and imported hard coal) in Germany.
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Monday, 12 May 14
DRY BULK MARKET IS STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND FIRM FOOTING
COALspot.com: The freight market continued to be weak and the BDI closed slightly lower at 997 points or fell 1.96 pct week on week. The cape in ...
Friday, 09 May 14
RBCT SHIPPED 5.4 MMT OF COAL IN APRIL
COALspot.com: South Africa's Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) the single largest coal export terminal in the world, shipped 5.45 million to ...
Friday, 09 May 14
DRY BULK MARKET: BANKRUPTCY TONNAGE UNLEASHED
Drewry’s latest Dry Bulk Forecaster saw freight rates on most routes declined in 2014’s first quarter as the previous quarter’ ...
Friday, 09 May 14
UNITED STATES COAL PRODUCTION SLIGHTLY SLIDES TO 82.4 MMST IN APRIL
COALspot.com – United States the world's second largest coal producer, produced approximately 18.8 million short tons (mmst) of coal i ...
Thursday, 08 May 14
'TRIAL BY MEDIA, TRIAL BY LAW' - A REPORT FROM TRACK 1 OF BIMCO'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE DUBAI 2014
KNOWLEDGE TO ELEVATE
Aiming to bring a very different type of event into their annual conference, BIMCO presented ‘Double Jeopardy &n ...
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Showing 3711 to 3715 news of total 6871 |
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- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Australian Coal Association
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Planning Commission, India
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- PTC India Limited - India
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- The University of Queensland
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- White Energy Company Limited
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
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