Future Coal
Coal isn’t what it used to be and neither is its future. Clean coal's future isn’t as bright as it was a few years ago, but will it remain viable long after "cheap gas"?
Coal isn’t what it used to be and neither is its future. Clean coal's future isn’t as bright as it was a few years ago, but will it remain viable long after "cheap gas"?
Record low gas prices are pushing coal out of the US energy mix, resulting in rising US thermal exports and falling global prices.
Indonesia’s coal sector is dealing with a sluggish market and the roll out of unpopular new mining laws. But the outlook is still good for the world’s largest thermal coal exporter.
Exports coming out of China and news of slowing demand and have left many traders uncertain of where coal prices will settle in the coming months.
Colombia has long been a coal mining hotspot, but improving political conditions and a shifting coal market are drawing increased attention to the South American jurisdiction.
Sliding demand is forcing US coal producers to reassess their future after several American miners shut down capacity and shifted focus abroad.
China is demanding more clean energy. Clean coal offers one solution to its energy and environmental priorities, but it is questionable how soon these facilities will become common place. Recent agreements for clean coal facilities suggest they are making real strides, but is clean coal really a priority?
Vilified as a dirty energy source in advanced industrialized economies, coal is booming around the world. Emerging economies are the critical driving force behind the continued growth, but barriers do exist.
In 2012, China is apt to be the driving force of the coal markets, followed by its fellow emerging markets.
Looking to capitalize on Mongolia’s growing importance as a strategic raw materials supplier to resource-hungry China, private commodities company Trafigura is actively expanding its already significant position in the global resource market.
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