Thermal coal prices in Uzbekistan have shown patterns of divergence since the country lifted price restrictions in early June, data from the Uzbek Commodity Exchange (Uzex) show.
Prices of coal grades for household consumption appeared to be stable, while grades for power plant usage were mixed, according to Uzex data from late-May to early July.
Uzbekistan ended state-set prices and shifted to liberalised market operating under a supply-and-demand-based system through exchange trading for its coal industry from 1 June.
Under the new system, thermal power plants and industrial buyers have been allowed to secure coal through a "request for proposals" method or tenders at weighted-average exchange prices.
A separate mechanism allowed households and public institutions to secure deliveries, with producers selling to entrepreneurs through a separate dedicated trading platform.
Data from the exchange show among grades of coal used by households, prices of D-grade thermal coal sized around 20-60mm hovered near $111.28/t and SS-grade sized thermal coal sized 13mm remained near $38/t levels, with both prices unchanged since 1 June.
Utilities that use D-grade thermal coal sized at 0-300mm also saw prices hold steady at $80.50/t, but lignite sized at 0-300mm saw the sharpest 33pc jump to near $40/t during the past month.
Uzbekistan's domestic coal supply is primarily fulfilled by two main coal reserves, with the Angren coalfield located in the east and the Shargun deposit located in the south of the country. High ash and low calorific value lignite is mined at the Angren deposit, while higher quality bituminous coal is mined at Shargun.
The Uzbek government had previously noted that local power plants use a blend of coal from both coal mining regions as a substitute for imports.
Coal production declines
Domestic coal production in Uzbekistan fell by 36pc on the year to 1.6mn t over January-May, data from Uzbekistan's statistics bureau show. The data showed Uzbek coal production in the first five months of 2025 had totalled 2.5mn t and around 1.9mnt during the same period in 2024.
The country plans to raise its coal output forecast to 11mn t in the coming autumn-winter season, which typically spans September-February, the government said in early June. Uzbekistan had aimed to produce 10mn t during the last heating season.
The country also imports coal via rail, with most of it supplied by neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. Imports from Kyrgyzstan jumped 48.4pc on the year to 288,500t over January-March, data from Global Trade Tracker show.
