Coal production in Russia increased by 2% in five months

For the five months of 2023, coal production in Russia increased by slightly more than 2% compared to the same period last year, exceeding 162 million tons, Deputy Energy Minister Sergei Mochalnikov said at a meeting of the State Council of Russia Commission in the Energy sector in Novokuznetsk, transmits TASS.

“According to operational data, over five months, production of 162 million tons. We exceed the parameters of 2022 by more than 2 percent. Export – 83 [млн тонн] with a slight increase of 1.9%. The domestic market is about 79 million tons, which is also more than the parameters for 2022,” the deputy minister cited the data.

Before that today Mochalnikov informedthat the Ministry of Energy plans to maintain coal production and export at the level of 2022 – 440 million tons and 220 million tons, respectively.

Earlier, Vedomosti, citing the calculations of the Center for Price Indices (CCI) of Gazprombank wrotethat the export of coking (metallurgical) coal abroad through the network Russian Railways (including deliveries to ports) from Russia in January-March 2023 increased by 44% compared to the same period last year to 17.9 million tons. Exports of thermal coal over this period decreased by 8% to 49.8 million tons.

According to the report of the center, in March, the export of coking coal increased by 54% to 4.9 million tons. CCI analysts explain the dynamics of the growth in production in Kuzbass, which led to an increase in rail deliveries from the region to ports and border crossings of the Far East by 2.5 times to 2.5 million tons. At the same time, rail shipments from Yakutia in March decreased by 8% to 1.7 million tons. The largest coking coal export destinations in March were China (3 million tons), Japan and South Korea (in aggregate 1 million tons) and India (200,000 tons).