The biggest private mining and power generating company in Ukraine, DTEK, plans to increase coal exports to 6.45 million t in 2014 – a 36% increase compared to the 4.74 million t exported in 2013.
New coal markets are being targeted by DTEK as it looks to expand into previously unexplored market territory. The company said earlier this year that supplies to new consumers in the UK, Morocco, Brazil and Mexico had begun. "DTEK is expanding cooperation with iron and steel enterprises in Europe, Asia and Mediterranean countries that use Ukrainian anthracite in coke-substitution technologies," the company said in a statement.
"Ukraine has enough capacity to become one of the main suppliers of energy products to Europe," Andriy Favorov, commercial director of DTEK, said in the statement.
DTEK is the largest producer of coal in Ukraine. The company owns 31 coal mines and 13 coal enrichment plants. Both thermal and metallurgical coal are produced by DTEK.
Exports of coal in Q1 2014 rose 68.1% year-on-year to 1.18 million t – compared to 700 400 t exported in Q1 2013.
DTEK exports coal to Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Africa, according to the company's website.
DTEK, owned by Ukraine's wealthiest person Rinat Akhmetov, is a vertically integrated power company incorporating coal production and enrichment companies, power and heat generation companies and power distributors.
Edited from various sources by Sam Dodson