This article discusses the Top 5 Coal Exporting Countries in the World. If you want to get a detailed analysis of the global education sector, you can head on to the Top 20 Coal Exporting Countries in the World.
5. South Africa
Exports: 83,102 thousand short tons
Three percent of the world’s coal output is accounted for by South Africa; the top producers are Australia, China, India, and Indonesia. Coal exports from South Africa rose by 11% in 2022 compared to 2021, with India receiving the lion’s share of these exports. Furthermore, from 2022 to 2026, coal exports from South Africa are predicted to increase at a CAGR of 0.67%.
Interestingly, 108 coal mines exist in the country, out of which, Grootegeluk Mine is the largest one, as it boasts a production capacity of 30.4 million tons per annum, according to Mining Technology! New Vaal Mine, which is the 2nd biggest one in South Africa, has a production capacity of 13.68 million tons per annum, showcasing the abundance of coal in the country.
4. USA
Exports: 85,955 thousand short tons
The export of coal from the United States in 2021 and 2022 stayed mostly unaltered, with the exports hitting 85.1 million metric short tons, and 84.8 million metric short tons in the two years, respectively, according to EIA. In 2022, 45% of all U.S. coal exports were steam coal, and 55% were metallurgical coal.
In terms of destinations of that exported coal volume, India was responsible for the highest import of American coal, importing 15.5 million metric short tons in 2022! Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea were other countries that imported the most in the same year.
3. Russia
Exports: 242,607 thousand short tons
2022 saw a decline in Russian coal shipments, from 210.7 million metric tons the year before, amidst the Russian-Ukraine conflict. The production also saw a downtick of 1.26% in its 2023 production, as it finished at 438 million tons at the end of year, while the exports for 2023 hit 213 million tons mark, according to Tass.
According to the country’s prime minister, major increase was witnessed in the coal exports heading to China and India, wherein exports saw an uptick of 52%, and 43%, respectively, in the two countries, as compared to previous year. 174 mines are present in the country, with the two biggest mines, The Borodinsky Strip Mine, and Sobolevskoe Mine, having a production volume of 19.37 million tons per annum, and 15.75 million tons per annum, respectively, in the year 2023, according to Mining Technology.
2. Australia
Exports: 401,298 thousand short tons
Australia’s main energy resource is coal, as it boasts 74,147 million tons of recoverable black coal and 74,039 million tons of recoverable brown coal, as of 2020, according to Geoscience Australia.
Australia holds the third-largest coal deposits globally, accounting for 14% of global coal reserves, just behind Russia and USA, which account for 24% and 15%, respectively; the country’s coal reserves were valued at 147 billion tons, as of 2018, according to Mining Technology. It is the 4th largest producer of coal, as it has been hitting 500 million tons mark quite consistently since 2014, according to Power Technology. Australia was the world’s 2nd largest coal exporting country by a wide margin in 2022, accounting for whopping 35% of worldwide coal exports based on value!
1. Indonesia
Exports: 516,740 thousand short tons
At number 1 of our list, we have Indonesia. The value of coal exported by Indonesia to India alone, in 2022, was close to $10.6 billion mark! In the same year, Indonesia exported a total estimated value of staggering $46.76 billion of coal.
According to MINERBA One Data (MODI), which was published on January 19, Indonesia’s coal output reached a record high of 775.2 million metric tons in 2023, surpassing the government’s prior target of 694 million metric tons. This was due to a rise in the demand for seaborne coal throughout the world.
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