Carvão
Visão geral
Os preços globais do carvão térmico subiram para níveis recordes em 2022, vivendo volatilidade sem precedentes. Desde então, os preços começaram a cair à medida que os riscos associados ao fornecimento da Europa diminuíram. Em um nível global, a demanda por carvão permanece robusta, com a segurança do fornecimento subindo na agenda de muitos governos à luz da agitação geopolítica.
Na Europa, as sanções deslocaram a mistura de importação de carvão da região da Rússia para outros fornecedores. O ritmo de redução gradual das usinas de carvão na região deve aumentar nos próximos anos, com o papel do carvão na mistura de eletricidade se deslocando ainda mais para o uso de pico de carga, tornando o planejamento futuro mais desafiador.
Na Ásia-Pacífico, o carvão térmico continua sendo um pilar dos setores de energia e industrial. Os fluxos comerciais globais de carvão e os spreads de preços estão mudando, com fluxos de fornecedores-chave Rússia, Indonésia, Austrália, África do Sul, Colômbia e EUA penetrando novos mercados, em resposta à dinâmica de preços e barreiras comerciais.
Manter-se a par dos preços e fluxos, e de como os mercados de carvão se cruzam com outros índices de referência de energia e commodities, será fundamental nos próximos anos.
Últimas notícias
Navegue pelas últimas notícias do mercado sobre a indústria global do carvão.
South Korea eyes single state-owned power utility
South Korea eyes single state-owned power utility
London, 18 June (Argus) — South Korea's five state-owned utilities are expected to be merged into a single utility — a move that could reshape the country's thermal coal procurement strategy. The country's climate and energy ministry in an interim briefing on Thursday released the findings of a government-commissioned study that identified consolidating five state-run utilities into one utility as the preferred option. The proposal was based on four key principles — strengthening the implementation of the energy transition, reducing financial risks, improving operational efficiency and facilitating a " just transition ". The merger would reduce thermal coal procurement costs through joint purchasing, the study said. "The restructuring of state-owned utilities is not simply about merging companies but about reorganising them into a more competitive business structure capable of responding to the energy transition," climate and energy minister Kim Sung-hwan said. Under the current system, the five state-run utilities procure coal independently and compete to secure the lowest-cost fuel supplies. The merger would prioritise supply security and fuel quality over price, market participants said. Market participants also expect the merger to shift coal procurement towards long-term contracts with major mining companies capable of ensuring stable supply, reducing reliance on spot purchases. Larger tender volumes are also expected to favour large suppliers, they said. The country's independent power producers (IPPs) are likely to maintain a more flexible procurement strategy, balancing spot purchases and long-term contracts while continuing to prioritise cost-effective fuel supplies, sources said. But the merger is unlikely to materialise in the near term, market participants said, owing mainly to the complexity of integrating five utilities with operations spread across the country. They cited challenges such as harmonising different operational systems, deciding on the location of the merged utility's headquarters and navigating regional interests. The restructuring would also require enabling legislation, potentially extending the timeline, they added. South Korea's five state-owned utilities split from parent company Kepco in 2001 as part of power sector reforms aimed at boosting competition and efficiency. They are projected to account for about 83pc of South Korea's thermal coal demand and 89pc of coal-fired output this year, according to Argus' calculations. The merger would have little immediate impact on thermal coal demand, according to market participants, because it would change who operates coal-fired plants rather than the number of plants in operation. Coal-fired plant retirements will continue in line with the country's power supply and demand plan regardless. But market participants said the government's commitment to the energy transition and planned coal phase-out could gradually weigh on thermal coal demand over the longer term. The interim report released on Thursday reaffirmed the South Korean government's target to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2040 and expand renewable capacity to 100GW by 2030 . The transition would place greater emphasis on grid balancing, system flexibility and power stability rather than on simply increasing power generation, market participants said. The energy ministry plans to finalise its plan for reorganising the functions and structure of South Korea's state-owned utilities next month after consulting experts and stakeholders. By Dayu Park HQ location of S Korea's state-owned utilities Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Kazakhstan steps up coal industry developments
Kazakhstan steps up coal industry developments
London, 16 June (Argus) — Kazakhstan has announced numerous initiatives to develop its rapidly growing coal sector over the past few days, including timelines for its coal-to-chemicals projects and the construction and modernisation of thermal power plants. The country's energy ministry said it was putting together plans to develop six coal-to-chemicals projects from 2026-31, with aims to produce metallurgical coke and synthetic fuels based on coal. The ministry also said it plans to produce gas, ammonia, urea and other chemicals products from coal. The Kazakh state and state-run firms are ready to start concluding long-term offtake contracts for coal to produce these chemical products, the ministry added. "The development of coal chemistry will allow us to move from the traditional use of coal to the production of chemical products, create new industries, and expand the country's export potential," Kazakhstan's vice-minister of energy, Sanzhar Zharkeshov, said at an industry event on 12 June. Kazakhstan aims to invest more in coal mining technologies, modern thermal power plants and the modernisation of its transport infrastructure, energy minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said. The energy ministry will give further details on its expansion plans later this week, it said today. Its planned projects include introducing online control systems for coal production and loading into wagons. All initiatives are part of Kazakhstan's broader national project to increase coal use. Separately, Kazakhstan held a meeting with German mining firm Koch Solutions today, to discuss ways to invest in the central Asian country's coal sector. The proposal was part of a broader co-operation, which includes the supply of Kazakh oil to Germany. Kazakhstan has been leading a broad expansion among central Asian coal markets this year, attracting investments from countries including the US, Russia and China. Kazakhstan aims to boost its coal exports and increase domestic energy security. Kazakhstan generated around 62.1pc of its power from thermal coal this year so far, with 23.4pc coming from natural gas, 7.5pc from hydroelectric power plants and the remaining 7pc from renewables, according to latest energy ministry data. The country is making moves to diversify its power grid but ambitious plans to boost coal consumption overall will likely keep the solid fuel on top of the merit order in the long run. By Shreyashi Sanyal Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Global warming set to exceed 1.5°C by 2030: Scientists
Global warming set to exceed 1.5°C by 2030: Scientists
London, 11 June (Argus) — The rise in global temperature is projected to surpass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — the limit sought by the Paris climate agreement — "in about four years", an international team of more than 70 scientists said today. "Human-induced warming reached 1.37°C" in 2025, compared with the 1850-1900 average, the latest Indicators of Global Climate Change report found. The Paris agreement seeks to curb the global rise in temperature to "well below" 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and pursues a 1.5°C limit. "The rate at which heat is accumulating in the earth system suggests high levels of future warming", the report found. "The rate of human-induced warming remains at the all-time high of around 0.27°C per decade, driven primarily by record-high greenhouse gas levels." It estimated the remaining global carbon budget — the amount of CO2 that can still be emitted before the 1.5°C threshold is exceeded — is 130bn t/CO2, from the start of 2026. This estimate, which is a central one, "will be exhausted in around three years at current levels of CO2 emissions", the report found. Global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high 56.8bn t/CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2024, according to the report, "mainly from the burning of fossil fuels." "Although we still have record high levels of emissions, the growth of those CO2 emissions is slowing," the EU Copernicus programme's strategic lead for climate Samantha Burgess said today. "That doesn't mean we're on track yet, but it does mean that policy, technology, and societal choices are starting to bend the curve." Burgess was speaking at climate talks underway in Bonn, Germany, hosted by UN climate body the UNFCCC. El Nino weather conditions have now developed in the tropical Pacific, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed today. The weather pattern, which is naturally-occurring, typically leads to higher global temperatures. Current forecasting suggest it is "likely to be a very strong event", the UK's Met Office said today. Some forecasts suggest "values that would be of record strength", the Met Office said. "It is also highly likely that the El Nino will cause a temporary spike in global annual temperature with the residual heat potentially making next year the hottest in the global series from 1850", Met Office head of long-range forecasting Adam Scaife said. The hottest year on record to date is 2024. The past three years, 2023-25, are the hottest three years recorded. The average temperature across 2023-25 was 1.48°C above pre-industrial levels — with a margin of uncertainty of 0.13°C — data consolidated by the World Meteorological Organisation show. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Indonesia's coal exports extend decline in April
Indonesia's coal exports extend decline in April
Singapore, 10 June (Argus) — Indonesia's coal exports fell on the year for a fourth consecutive month in April, as weaker demand from China and India continued to weigh on shipments. The world's largest coal exporter shipped 37.33mn t of all coal types in April, down by 3.5pc on the year, according to Indonesian customs data compiled by Global Trade Tracker (GTT). Volumes were broadly stable from March's 37.6mn t . Cumulative exports in January–April reached 151.1mn t, down by 6.9pc from a year earlier. Thermal coal accounted for nearly 96pc of total shipments last month. Exports declined in line with a drop in shipments to key markets, China and India — the world's top two coal importing nations. The decline also comes as Indonesian coal output continued to remain under pressure in line with weak demand and lack of clarity over annual production quotas. Seaborne prices added further headwinds, with suppliers raising offer prices citing supply-side issues as well as Asian summer demand. The delivered costs have also risen on the back of higher freight costs linked to the US-Iran conflict, eroding the competitiveness of imported seaborne coal in key markets. Argus assessed the GAR 4,200 kcal/kg coal at $66.30/t fob Kalimantan on 5 June, the highest level since May 2023. The elevated prices are likely to continue weighing on demand from buyers of imported coal. Shipments to China fell to 11.38mn t in April, down by 4.3pc on the year and by 5.7pc from 12.07mn t in March, according to the GTT data. Chinese customs data put thermal coal imports from Indonesia slightly lower at 11.07mn t, marking a sharper 22pc on the year decline in April. Overall Chinese thermal coal imports fell by 23pc on the year to 20.88mn t in April. Exports to India rose on the month to 8.23mn t from 7.81mn t, but were down by 24pc on the year. This was in line with the declining trend seen in India's receipts of seaborne coal. Receipts from Indonesia were at 7.99mn t in April, accounting for about 59pc of India's 13.59mn t of thermal coal imports, according to shipbroker Interocean estimates. Indian imports declined by 13pc on thboe year in April, Interocean data show, extending a downturn as strong domestic output continues to cap Indian demand for seaborne coal. Southeast Asia was the main source of demand growth for Indonesian coal. Exports to the region rose to 11.28mn t in April, up by 6.4pc on the month and 8.4pc on the year, making it the only major region to record growth. Vietnam led gains, with imports rising by 33pc on the year to 3.73mn t on higher coal-fired generation, as coal burn increased in line with power demand and addition of new capacity. Shipments to Thailand and the Philippines also increased — rising by 26pc on the year to 1.3mn t and 4.5pc year-on-year to 3.54mn t, respectively. Exports to Malaysia declined by 14pc on the year to 2.17mn t in April. But shipments to South Korea rose by 69pc from a year earlier to 1.82mn t. The decline in exports is in line with the dip in output. Indonesia produced 230mn-235mn t of coal in the first four months of 2026, according to Argus estimates based on market information. This is down from a revised 250.5mn t a year earlier. The output represents around 38pc of the government's 600mn t full-year target, although the production guidance could be reviewed and revised upwards next month , according to market participants. Indonesian coal producers could have supplied 80mn-85mn t of coal to the domestic market under domestic market obligation (DMO) requirements during the first four months of the year, market participants added. Supply constraints persisted through April. Delays in RKAB mining quota approvals continued to limit export availability, while the DMO — raised to at least 30pc of annual output — further tightened exportable volumes. Some smaller producers have reportedly exhausted quotas and are selling from stockpiles. On the supply side, Indonesia rolled out the first phase of its export centralisation plan through Danantara Sumber Daya Indonesia on 1 June, which might introduce an additional layer of operational uncertainty over seaborne supplies. By Saurabh Chaturvedi Indonesia coal exports (mn t) Indonesia coal exports by destination (mn t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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