UK September coal consumption up 8.5%

The UK’s consumption of thermal coal rose 8.5% month on month to 3.76 million t in September, the highest for three months, according to data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

This rate of thermal coal burn is still lower than last year’s five-year high of 54.82 million t.

In the first nine months of 2013, the UK’s thermal coal burn averaged 4.13 million tpm (annualised rate of 49.78 million t), down from 4.34 million tpm (52.15 million tpa) over the same period last year.

Power and imports

Healthy profit margins from coal fired power generation have supported the UK’s use of thermal coal.

Thermal coal stocks at UK power plants increased for a sixth consecutive month, reaching 12.38 million t at the end of September, up 8.5% year-on-year and the highest level since January 2012.

Total thermal and metallurgical coal imports to the UK fell 5.9% month-on-month to 3.9 million t in September. The UK imported a total of 36.9 million t of coal in the first months of 2013, an increase from 33.29 million t in 2012.

Edited from various sources by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/28112013/uk_september_coal_consumption_305/