Thermal Coal – The Coal Trader

Coal News for Mining & Investing Professionals

Lignite Coal Power CCS Project in North Dakota Secures First $4.1M Federal Tranche for Carbon Capture

October 3, 2024

The Project Tundra initiative, a demonstration project aimed at capturing 4 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually from two lignite-fired units at the Milton R. Young Station in North Dakota, has received a significant boost. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has awarded the project $4.1 million as part of a larger $350 million cost-share commitment. This funding marks the first tranche to support the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology at the 705-MW coal power plant near Center, North Dakota…

ARA Coal Stockpiles Dip to 3.32 mm Tonnes Ahead of Winter

October 3, 2024

Coal stockpiles at ARA dipped again last week to 3.3 mm metric tonnes, down from 6 mm metric tonnes at this time last year and the lowest levels since 2022. The stockpiles are mostly thermal coal for use in NW Europe, so what does that mean for Atlantic Basin thermal coal prices?…

Taking Stock: Global Thermal Coal

September 30, 2024

I’ll start out with this first post by taking the temperature of the global thermal coal markets and looking out over the next year or so.

The Gamma Squeeze is On for Coal Stocks

September 27, 2024

A quick rundown on today’s continued rip in coal stocks and actions I took…

Coal Stocks Rip, Time to Flip?

September 24, 2024

A quick rundown of the post-China stimulus rip in coal stocks, and how to think about positioning using some advice from our Substack and Twitter friend Le Shrub…

Potential Impact of Longshoremen’s Strike on Coal Exports: Limited Disruptions Expected

September 24, 2024

The looming threat of a strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on 1 October has raised concerns across various industries reliant on U.S. port operations. But while containerships would likely face significant backlogs at U.S. Gulf and East Coast ports, commodities like coal may see minimal impact…

Russian Coal Industry Faces Mounting Challenges in 2024 Amid Declining Exports and Production Shifts

August 27, 2024

Russian coal producers continue to grind through a turbulent 2024, marked by a slight overall decline in output and a significant drop in coal exports. From January to July 2024, total coal production across Russia has declined modestly to 250.6 million tons (Mt), down just 1.9 Mt or 0.8% year-on-year. Exports have struggled, however, falling sharply to 105.8 Mt, a decrease of 11.2 Mt or 10% compared to the same period in 2023…

CSX Curtis Bay Coal Terminal Incident Causes Shipping Delay

August 19, 2024

A significant mechanical failure at CSX’s Curtis Bay coal export terminal near Baltimore has led to a temporary halt in coal loading operations. According to shipping agencies in the region, it will take at least two weeks to repair or replace the damaged machinery…

Coal Mining Coal Stockpile West Virginia

Thermal Coal Markets Run As Met Retracts

August 13, 2024

There has been a huge shift in momentum from the met coal side to the thermal coal side over the last few weeks as we reported in our $CEIX earnings preview last week. And having just returned from the West Virginia Coal Association’s Annual Meeting at the Greenbrier, I can confirm that attitudes are cautiously optimistic about a solid back half of the year…

Moody’s: SCOTUS Chevron Ruling Raises Uncertainty for Power Sector

August 12, 2024

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine on June 28 has introduced significant legal and regulatory uncertainty for regulated utilities, according to Moody’s Ratings. The Chevron doctrine, established in 1984, had allowed courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws. Its removal may complicate regulatory processes and create challenges for the power sector…