Coal

China's coal supply squeeze is persisting as safety inspections expand from private mines to state-owned producers. This extends a period of tightened supply that has pushed prices to multi-month highs. The move directly supports higher coking and thermal coal prices amid ongoing domestic constraints. Read →

Indian steelmakers face mounting margin pressure as premium hard coking coal prices averaged $236/t FOB Australia in the first seven months of 2026, up 25% year-over-year. Supply disruptions in Australia and China, plus the Middle East conflict, drive the rise; India imports 95% of its needs. Coking coal accounts for nearly 40% of steel costs with little scope to pass on increases amid cheap Chinese steel competition. Read →

Coal India filed draft papers to sell up to 661.8 million shares, or 10% of Mahanadi Coalfields, its largest subsidiary that produced 28.4% of the group's output in FY26. The offer-for-sale proceeds go entirely to Coal India. The filing boosts Coal India shares as domestic thermal demand stays strong. Read →

Units of Indonesia's top coal miner Bumi Resources broke ground on a coal gasification plant to produce up to 2 million tons of methanol yearly from 7.78 million tons of low-grade coal. The project targets 2029 commissioning and aims to cut methanol imports worth Rp7.1 trillion annually. Read →

Newcastle thermal coal rose 1.21% to $146.60 per ton on September 2, up over 10% in a month. Gains stem from robust global energy demand and supply risks including Middle East tensions tightening LNG markets. Read →

Coal India reported August production down 5.7% YoY to 47.5 MT while offtake rose 5.5% to 60.6 MT. E-auction premiums hit 59% above notified prices, up from 46% year-to-date, boosting realizations as the firm sells from stockpiles amid 11% YoY thermal power demand growth. Brokerages including Nuvama upgraded estimates and targets, with pithead inventories falling sharply. Read →

Coal India shares gained over 3.5% after August data showed e-auction premiums at 59% and dispatches up 6.7% YoY to 322.9 MT in April-August. Production fell but offtake outpaced it, signaling inventory drawdown; UBS maintains buy rating with Rs 550 target citing power demand strength. Read →

PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI) begins operating its export monitoring platform on Sep 1, initially covering coal, palm oil and ferro-alloys worth over US$70 billion annually. The system integrates government data for greater visibility into transactions, targeting issues like under-invoicing and transfer pricing. It marks a phased rollout of tighter oversight on Indonesia’s thermal coal exports, the world’s largest. Read →

China’s installed solar capacity reached 1,286 GW by end-July, surpassing coal’s 1,285 GW to become the top power source by capacity. Solar still lags in actual generation, with coal providing nearly half of electricity in H1. The milestone reflects accelerating renewables growth even as thermal coal demand persists for power and industry. Read →

Chinese coking coal futures in Dalian are on track for a 46% gain in August, the largest monthly rise since the contract launched in 2013 and surpassing the prior record of nearly 38% from July 2025. Output disruptions and intensified safety checks have tightened supply of the steelmaking input. The surge underscores acute domestic shortages that are lifting prices and import interest. Read →

Newcastle-linked coal prices rose 0.22% to $138.7/t on Aug 26. China coking coal imports into Shanxi increased to offset domestic supply shortfalls after May accidents and inspections cut washed coking output 6.78% YoY. Thermal coal prices also climbed as mines raised offers after hitting targets, though upside faces limits from cooling power demand. Read →

As of August 25, 45 Indian power plants (40 domestic coal-fired) held coal stocks below 25% of required levels or enough for under three days' generation, up from 31 at end-July. Heavy monsoon rains disrupted mining and rail transport in states like Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, cutting plant stocks 19% month-on-month to 30.95 million tonnes (10 days' cover per BigMint). Weakest monsoon since 2009 plus El Niño-linked heat lifted air-conditioning demand, tightening thermal coal supply and supporting seaborne prices. Read →

New direct rail links from Jingtang and Caofeidian ports cut logistics costs and deliver imported coking coal into Shanxi to offset domestic shortages. Safety inspections after the May mine accident and ongoing month-end shutdowns have kept local washed coking coal output down 6.78% year-on-year in H1. Shanxi low-sulfur coking coal spot price rose 49 yuan/t on August 26 to 2,461 yuan/t ex-washplant, supporting metallurgical coal benchmarks. Read →

Metallurgical coal prices remain supported by Chinese demand after the Shanxi mine accident, with domestic prices holding a $50/t premium to seaborne material. Around 50 Mtpa capacity stays idled in Shanxi as safety inspections expand, while diesel shortages hit Russian and Mongolian supply. Indian buyers are expected to ramp up post-monsoon restocking, adding further upward pressure. Read →

Australian HCC metallurgical coal index climbed to $248/t on strong Chinese demand and domestic price gains. Thermal coal prices rose in China, Indonesia and Australia amid safety inspections closing washing plants and reducing mine supply. Japanese and South Korean utilities are rebuilding inventories to conserve LNG amid elevated gas prices. Read →

Weekly seaborne US coal exports rose 37% with thermal shipments more than doubling week-over-week. India led the thermal coal import surge, boosting demand for US material. The data highlights renewed Asian buyer interest amid seasonal power needs and supply dynamics. Read →

Washed coal inventories at 523 sampled Chinese miners fell 8.5% week-on-week to 1.65 million tonnes by August 20, the lowest since November 2021. Frequent safety inspections and constrained domestic output tightened supply. The squeeze supports higher import demand and prices for metallurgical coal. Read →

China imported 13.62 million tonnes of coking coal in July, up 11.8% month-on-month and 41.7% year-on-year for the second-highest monthly volume on record. Average import prices reached $134.8 per tonne, the highest since December 2024. Supply fears from domestic disruptions drove the surge. Read →

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel plans a sixth rehearing request with the U.S. Department of Energy over repeated emergency orders forcing Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell coal plant near Lake Michigan to operate more than 14 months past its planned retirement. The orders under the Federal Power Act have extended operations amid claims of grid needs in the MISO region. The challenge continues long-running legal fights over the cost and legality of prolonging coal-fired generation. Read →

Yancoal delivered record attributable saleable coal production of 19.8 Mt in H1 2026, up 5% YoY, with revenue rising 13% to AUD 3.01 billion and operating EBITDA climbing 29% to AUD 767 million. Realized prices increased 3% to AUD 154/t overall (thermal +3% to AUD 143/t, met +4% to AUD 216/t) while cash costs rose only 3% to AUD 96/t despite higher diesel. The miner cut full-year capex guidance by AUD 150 million and is on track for upper-half production guidance. Read →

Exxaro's coal production rose 11% to 21.5 Mt and total sales 4% to 19.9 Mt in H1 2026, with export volumes surging 15% to 3.9 Mt amid improved rail performance and API4 prices up 15% YoY to US$105.78/t. Group revenue increased 7% to R22.1 billion while EBITDA held steady at R5.6 billion despite inflation; the company declared a R7/share interim dividend. Export gains benefited from India and Japan demand plus higher-margin RB1 coal mix. Read →

Dalian coking coal futures rose 15% this week to 1,583.50 yuan ($235) per ton, the highest since October 2024. The surge follows ongoing safety inspections in Shanxi province, which produces about half of China’s coking coal, after a deadly May mine accident. Tight stockpiles tighten supply for steelmaking coal amid persistent post-disaster restrictions. Read →

Indian steelmakers import 95% of coking coal needs and face rising costs as premium hard coking coal averaged $236 per ton FOB Australia in the first seven months of 2026, up 25% year-on-year. Supply disruptions in Australia, the Shanxi accident effects, and the Iran conflict drive prices higher. Every $10 per ton rise in coking coal adds $7-9 per ton to steelmaking costs with limited ability to pass them on due to cheap Chinese steel competition. Read →

China's National Bureau of Statistics reported July coal production fell 10.1% year-on-year to 343.21 million metric tons, the lowest monthly figure since September 2021. Tighter safety oversight followed the May Liushenyu mine disaster in Shanxi that killed 82 people, leading to inspections, voluntary output cuts and forecasts of further declines. Reduced domestic supply supports thermal and metallurgical coal prices globally while pressuring importers like India. Read →

China's National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration released the 15th Five-Year Plan for Coal Industry Development targeting optimization by 2030. The plan prioritizes high-efficiency modern mines (87% of capacity), smart automation (75% target), coal supply bases and a plateau in consumption while keeping coal as an energy buffer. Coal power's share of generation fell below 50% for the first time in H1 2026 at 49.7%. Read →

South African producer Thungela Resources reported half-year headline earnings per share of 4.80 rand, more than double the prior year's 1.92 rand. Revenue rose to 15.2 billion rand from 14.8 billion rand as benchmark thermal coal prices climbed 15% in South Africa and 25% in Australia. Export volumes increased 12% to 9.5 million metric tons, supported by better rail logistics and Ensham mine output; the firm declared an interim dividend of 5.50 rand per share. Read →

Australian miner New Hope reported underlying FY2026 EBITDA of AUD 514 million, supported by stronger coal pricing and higher production. Quarterly activities for the period ending July 31 showed solid performance amid favorable price movements linked to Middle East supply disruptions. The firm is scheduled for its Q4 activities report and investor call on August 17. Read →

India's proposed coal mine capacity rose to 638 mtpa from 329 mtpa a year earlier, accounting for nearly all of the global increase. The expansion targets higher domestic output of 1.15 billion tons this fiscal year amid strong power demand. Most new projects are in Jharkhand and Odisha, signaling sustained supply growth for thermal and metallurgical coal. Read →

Cumulative thermal coal throughput at India's 12 major state ports rose just under 5% year-on-year in April-July to 46.05 million tons. The gain occurred despite weaker imports, driven partly by coastal movement of domestic coal. India's coal-fired power generation hit a July record of 114.7 TWh, up 13% on the year, on weak monsoon and high cooling demand. Read →

An explosives attack halted rail operations at Glencore's Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia. The incident disrupts thermal coal exports from one of the country's largest producers. No immediate details on duration or impact volume were reported. Read →

SGX will reference Dow Jones' McCloskey Australian FOB Second-Tier Hard Coking Coal Index for swaps and futures contracts launching in September. The move expands SGX offerings to better reflect current trade flows in the metallurgical coal market. Read →

Port of Newcastle shipped 12.63 Mt of coal in July, down 16.5% from June and 7% from a year earlier. Sharp drops to China (41% MoM) and other Northeast Asian buyers reflect weak spot buying amid high Chinese utility stocks. Read →

India's coal-fired generation reached a record 114.7 TWh in July, up 13% year-on-year, as weak monsoon cut hydropower and boosted cooling demand. The surge underscores sustained thermal coal demand despite rising renewables. Read →

China's NDRC and NEA released the 15th Five-Year Plan for coal development targeting over 100 million metric tons of annual production reserve capacity by 2030. Large modern mines are to reach 87% of total capacity and intelligent mines 75%. The plan reinforces coal's role as a baseline energy security guarantor while advancing safety, green tech and supply optimization. Read →

India's government introduced legislation curbing state powers to tax minerals and set mining conditions to create uniform national rules. The move aims to boost predictability and investment in the mining sector including coal. Stronger July domestic coal output of 69.75 million tons already signals reduced import needs. Read →

China's total coal imports rose 23% year-on-year to 43.73 million metric tons in July after safety inspections cut domestic mine output. August seaborne imports are estimated at 31.23 million tons by DBX Commodities, the first monthly decline in four months. This signals easing import demand as production normalizes, pressuring seaborne thermal coal prices after recent gains. Read →

India's coal-fired power generation reached a record 114.7 TWh in July, up 13% year-on-year. Weak monsoon reduced hydropower output while cooling demand rose. Higher burn supports thermal coal demand despite rising domestic production. Read →

India produced 69.75 million tons of coal in July, up 7.51% from a year earlier. Dispatch volumes jumped 17.34% to 86.33 million tons. Stronger domestic supply reduces import needs and weighs on seaborne thermal coal prices. Read →

Global thermal coal benchmarks showed mixed moves last week as API2 futures fluctuated on European winter buying while API4 and Asian prices weakened. Heatwaves supported late Chinese demand but India's monsoon limited imports, with petcoke and Russian coal remaining firmer. Australian thermal and metallurgical coal benchmarks eased amid the broader correction. Read →