In Commodity News 05/06/2015
Japan increased its offtake of coal exports from Gladstone port in the Australian state of Queensland to 2.42 million mt in May, a two-year high and up 36% from April, Gladstone Ports Corp. said Thursday, June 4.
Over January-May, Japan took delivery of 9.5 million mt of coal exports from Gladstone port, up from 9.2 million mt a year earlier.
Japan has been more dependent on fossil fuel imports since the March 2011 earthquake and Fukushima nuclear power plant accident led to the closure of all of the country’s 50 nuclear power generating units.
Kyushu Electric has delayed its target restart of the 890-MW No. 1 nuclear reactor at its Sendai power plant in the southwest to mid-August, from late July, a company official said Tuesday.
INDIA, CHINA
India was the second-largest customer for coal exports at Gladstone port last month at 1.27 million mt, up 46% from April.
Over January-May, India-bound ships have loaded 4.95 million mt of Gladstone coal exports, steady year on year.
China’s coal offtake from Gladstone port fell to 750,000 mt in May, down 25% from 1 million mt in April and the lowest since 588,000 mt in February — coinciding with the country’s Lunar New Year holiday.
Over January-May, China has been the destination for 4.3 million mt of coal exports from Gladstone, down from 7.4 million mt a year earlier.
Offtake by South Korea and Taiwan were steady from April at around 800,000 mt and 250,000 mt, respectively, according to the port data.
Gladstone port’s total coal exports for May were 5.74 million mt, up slightly from 5.45 million mt in April, bringing the year-to-date total to 26.9 million mt.
Ten ships were listed as waiting off Gladstone port Thursday, and another four ships were alongside the port’s RG Tanna coal terminal, although coal cargoes were temporarily unavailable for two of these berthed ships, according to a report on GPC’s website.
HAY POINT, DALRYMPLE BAY
Two other coal terminals in Queensland within the port of Hay Point had higher throughputs in May.
The BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance terminal Hay Point shipped 3.42 million mt of coking coal from its Bowen Basin mines in Queensland in May, up marginally from 3.2 million mt shipped in April, according to port data from North Queensland Bulk Ports Corp.
The multi-user terminal operated by Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal Management shipped 6.02 million mt of coal exports in May, up from 5.15 million mt in April, bringing the year-to-date total to 28.2 million mt, the port authority said.
