Coal

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Monday that it will open up 13.1 million acres (53,013.8 square kilometers), of federal land to the public. The Trump administration is trying to reverse the decline in coal use. In April, President Donald Trump issued executive orders to increase coal production. This was one of many actions he took that ran counter to the global effort to reduce carbon emissions. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), coal-burning power plants will generate about 15% of U.S. electricty in 2024. This is down from 50% in 2000. Fracking and other drilling techniques have...

Type One Energy CEO Christofer Mowry announced on Friday that the Tennessee Valley Authority, a government-owned utility in the United States, plans to use the technology of Type One Energy at the retired coal fired Bull Run plant. This plant will become the site for a commercial fusion facility. After decades of stagnation in the U.S., nuclear power is making a comeback. This is due to the record demand for electricity from AI data centres as well as electrifications of industries like transportation and manufacturing. Type One Energy announced that it would provide stellarator technology. This is an advanced version...

The Globe and Mail, citing sources familiar with this matter, reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had told Anglo American it would have to move its headquarters from the United States to Canada if its proposed acquisition by Teck Resources was to be approved. Anglo American, based in London, and Teck, based in Canada, announced last week a merger worth $53 billion. This is the second largest M&A transaction in the mining sector. The merged entity will be headquartered in Canada, with a primary listing in London. The Globe and Mail reported that Carney had made it clear in...

A government document published on Wednesday showed that Russia was considering a moratorium for bankruptcies within the metals sector. This is a sign of increasing concern over a struggling industry battling with falling demand and high interest rates, as well as a strong rouble. In the document, which was a protocol of the meeting held by the Financial Stability Commission on August 28, the ministry of economy and the ministry for industry were asked to submit proposals on October 28 regarding the feasibility of a ban on bankruptcy in the sector. Kommersant was the first to report on this news....

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday plans for competitive coal leasing sales in Alabama, Montana and Utah this year as part of an overall government effort to boost domestic coal production. Why it's Important The sales are part President Donald Trump’s effort to revitalize U.S. Coal Mining despite global efforts for a transition to cleaner energy sources in order to reduce planet-warming CO2 emissions. KEY QUOTE In a press release, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that coal has been the foundation of America's industrial and energy strength for many years. By moving forward with lease sales, "we are creating good...

Mechel, a Russian mining company, reported Thursday that its losses had worsened and that it had suspended production at one of their mines. This is a sign of the deep crisis in Russia's coal sector. Sector is facing a number of challenges, including the low price of coal, international sanctions, and the strength in the rouble which make its exports less attractive. About 30 companies, which produce a total of 30 million metric tonnes a year are said to be at risk of going bankrupt. In May, the government approved a series of measures to support this sector. This included...

This year, the pace of adding new solar, wind, and battery capacity in the U.S. has slowed down nationally and in some key states, which is hurting sentiment for clean energy. Climate trackers should take heart in the fact that growth has continued outside of Texas and California. According to data collected by the energy data platform Cleanview by mid-2025, combined installations of solar and wind power systems, as well as battery storage, are expected to increase by around 7% from the previous year in 2025. This would be the smallest percentage increase in these energy technologies over the past...

A U.S. Judge on Friday rejected in large part a request from top asset managers, including BlackRock, to dismiss a suit filed by Texas and twelve other Republican-led States that claimed the companies had violated antitrust laws through climate activism which reduced coal production and increased energy prices. U.S. district judge Jeremy Kernodle, in Tyler, Texas, agreed to dismiss only three of the 21 count in the states' suit, which also names institutional investors State Street, Vanguard, and others. This is one of the most high-profile lawsuits aimed at promoting environmental, social, and governance goals. Requests for comment from the...

Teck Resources, a Canadian mining company, beat its second-quarter profit expectations on Thursday thanks to improved profitability at the Trail operation. According to Teck's website, the Trail operations in British Columbia are one of the largest fully integrated zinc-lead smelting, refining and reprocessing complexes in the world. According to LSEG, the company reported a profit adjusted of 38 Canadian Cents per Share for the quarter ending June 30. This compares with an average analyst estimate of 27 Canadian Cents per Share. Teck reported that London Metal Exchange (LME), copper prices fell by 2% during the second quarter of 2012 compared...

Teck Resources, a Canadian mining company, announced on Thursday that it had approved a project to extend the life of its Highland Valley Copper Mine in British Columbia. This will allow Canada's biggest copper mine to continue operating until 2046. Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension Project is expected to support an average copper production rate of 132,000 metric tons per year for the lifetime of the mine. The company stated this in a press release. Jonathan Price, CEO of the company, said: "This extension is fundamental to our strategy of doubling copper production in the next decade." The project...

The committee announced on Friday that former Australian PM Scott Morrison would testify on Wednesday at an U.S. House hearing about China's "economic pressure against democracies". Rahm Emanuel, the former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, will also appear before the House Select Committee on China. The already rocky relations with China, which were exacerbated after Australia banned Huawei's 5G network in 2018. Canberra demanded an independent investigation of the origins COVID-19. China responded to the United States by imposing tariffs and limiting imports of Australian products, such as wine, barley, and beef. The United States called this "economic coercion." Morrison lost...

Executive Orders to Boost the Coal Industry Trump Administration pulls back plants from retirement The United States has ceased its efforts to reduce coal consumption By Carey L. Biron Then, the Trump administration issued an order to keep the plant operating, citing a regional energy crisis caused, in part by the retirements of coal and natural gas power plants. Trump issued executive orders to boost the coal industry. These were in response to the rapidly increasing electricity demand for new data centres that run artificial intelligence tools. The rebound is a resupply of coal for the JH Campbell plant, located...

BHP announced on Wednesday that it would suspend operations and eliminate 750 jobs in a Queensland coal mine, which it shares with an affiliate of Mitsubishi. It blamed low prices and high royalties from the state government for its poor returns. BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), Saraji South, a part of the Saraji Mine Complex will enter a care and maintenance period from November 2025. BHP and Mitsubishi Development, an arm of Mitsubishi Corp., jointly own the mine. The Saraji Complex produced 8,2 million metric tonnes of coking coal during the year ending June 2025. BHP, Mitsubishi Development and BMA Asset...

Customs data released on Monday showed that China's coal exports reached an eight-month peak in August. This was largely due to higher prices at home, but volumes were still below those seen a year ago. According to the General Administration of Customs, the country imported 42.74 millions metric tons of coke last month. This was the highest since December but down around 7% compared to August 2024. Toby Hassall is the lead analyst of LSEG's coal market. He said that "the rise in imports reflected a widened arbitrage as China’s domestic prices climbed following a reduction in coal production locally...

According to an official from a major mining company and analysts, China has curbed coal production after an unexpected increase in supply during the first half of this year, which weighed down on prices. In July, China's production fell to its lowest level for over a month. In the first half of this year, it had increased by more than 5%. Prices in some areas of the country fell nearly 30%. Analysts say that the country increased inspections in July, to ensure that plants maintained their approved production capacity. An official of China Coal Energy, China's largest coal miner, said...

A new report released on Monday found that China built 21 gigawatts of coal power plants in the first half 2025. This is the highest amount since 2016, even though the country continues to build record amounts of renewable energy. The authors of a report from the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, CREA, wrote: "The commissioning surge of 2025 is a delayed reaction to the permit surge of 2022-2023." This surge was in response to the power shortages and blackouts of 2021 and 2022. Supply disruptions, higher coal prices and tighter emission standards all collided at...

In August, China's seaborne thermal coal imports are expected to reach their highest level this year while India, the second largest buyer of seaborne coal, will see theirs fall to a three-and-a half-year low. The two largest importers of this fuel, which is primarily used to generate electricity, have divergent trends. This is largely due to the interaction between coal production on their home markets and the increasing use of renewable energy. According to commodity analysts Kpler, China's seaborne thermal coal imports are expected to reach 25,63 million metric tonnes in August. This is up from 22,77 million in July,...

Energy Department announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration will propose funding of nearly $1 billion to accelerate the development and production of critical minerals and materials in the United States, which are used in everything from electric vehicles batteries to semiconductors. The statement stated that the department will offer funding for the advancement and scaling up of mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies within the vital minerals and materials supply chain sectors, which have traditionally been dominated China and other countries. Chris Wright, Energy Secretary, said that the United States had relied too much on foreign actors for the supply...

Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that China's coal imports in July fell by 23% compared to a year ago, due to a limited demand for imports. The imports of coal in July were 35.61 millions metric tons. Although down on the previous year, this was a rebound from June's two-year-low as the hotter weather prompted higher air conditioning demands, which supported electricity consumption. The market will be watching to see if China takes concrete steps in the future to reduce production and curb oversupply at home. The National Energy Administration issued a document on July 20 calling...

Iron ore is the best performing commodity this year, with a price of over $100 per metric ton. This is despite signs that China's steel industry has been slowing down. The Singapore Exchange's most traded iron ore contract ended Wednesday at $101.71 per ton, down from $102.74 at its previous close. The rolling front-month contracts have traded within a narrow range this year. A high of $107.81 per ton was reached on February 12, and a low $93.35 per ton was achieved on July 1. This stability is due to the fact that China imports 75% of all seaborne volumes....

The Indonesian coal producers find themselves in a difficult situation, as their exports are falling and the demand for fuel from nickel smelters is at an all-time high. This creates a conundrum of growth. Indonesia's largest export is coal, which will generate $30.49 billion by 2024. A decline in revenues would have an adverse effect on Southeast Asia's largest economy, which is heavily dependent on commodities. Lower profit margins and falling share prices point to coal's future woes, which include a reduction in workforce, a slowdown in production, and less money going into government coffers, at a time that President...

China's June industrial output data and commodity imports have produced contrasting figures that make it difficult to get an accurate read on the second largest economy in the world. Iron ore imports and steel production appear to be telling contrasting stories. While imports of this key raw material surged to their highest level in the year, the decline in steel production was evident. The first six months of this year saw a 5% increase in coal production compared to 2024. However, thermal power generation - which is mostly coal-fired – dropped by 2.4%. The output of aluminium rose by 3.4%...

China's June industrial output data and commodity imports have produced contrasting figures that make it difficult to get an accurate read on the second largest economy in the world. Iron ore imports and steel production appear to be telling contrasting stories. While imports of this key raw material surged to their highest level in the year, the decline in steel production was evident. The first six months of this year saw a 5% increase in coal production compared to 2024. However, thermal power generation - which is mostly coal-fired – dropped by 2.4%. The output of aluminium rose by 3.4%...

China's crude output of steel in June was down 3.9% from last month and 9.2% from a year ago, as steelmakers maintained equipment amid seasonal demand declines. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that the world's biggest steel producer produced 83.18 millions metric tons of raw steel in the last month. This is the lowest monthly level so far this season. Calculations based on data show that the average daily production in June was 2,77 million tonnes, down by 0.7% from May's 2.79 million tonnes. Heavy rains and high temperatures in the east and south regions of the...