July coal deliveries to US power plants rise to six-month high: EIA

Houston — Coal deliveries to US power plants rose to a six-month high 37.43 million st in July, up 14% from the previous month but 23.8% lower than the year-ago month, according to US Energy Information Administration data.

The shipments in July were the lowest in over eight years for the corresponding month and was also down 34.6% from the five-year average, the data, released released Sept. 29, showed.

Subbituminous coal deliveries were at 20.42 million st in July, up from 18.18 million st in June and 27.09 million st in the year-ago month.

Bituminous coal deliveries to US power plants also rose to 12.56 million st, up from 10.84 million st in the previous month, but down from 17.17 million st a year earlier.

Subbituminous coal deliveries through July are at 135.75 million st, while bituminous deliveries are at 79.95 million st, compared with 173.06 million st and 120.07 million st, respectively, in the first seven months of 2019.

Average delivery costs for bituminous coal to regulated plants were at $54.49/st in July, compared with $53.07/st in June and $56.59/st in the year-ago month, according to the data. Subbituminous delivery costs to regulated plants declined to $30.58/st, down from $30.68/st in June and $33.03/st in July 2019.

The remaining deliveries in July were 4.08 million st of lignite and 373,869 st of waste coal, compared with 3.56 million st and 255,703 st, respectively, in June, and 4.59 million st and 256,115 st in the year-ago month.

Imports to US power plants fell to 214,879 st in July, down from 218,502 st in June and 252,191 st in July 2019.

Contract, spot purchase deliveries rise on month

Contract deliveries, or purchases with a term of one year or longer, rose to 33.91 million st in July, up 15.2% from 29.44 million st in June, but down from 42.52 million st in July 2019.

Spot coal shipments, or contract deliveries less than one year, rose to 3.49 million st, up 3.9% from 3.36 million st in June, but down from 6.21 million st in the year-ago month.

Spot deliveries from coal mines in Wyoming fell to 1.48 million st in July, from 1.53 million st in June, while spot shipments from West Virginia and Illinois climbed to 276,143 st and 182,278 st, respectively, up from 233,096 st and 118,378 st in June. Spot deliveries from Virginia and Pennsylvania mines also rose to 155,043 st and 71,267 st in July, respectively, from 24,350 st and 52,680 st in the previous month.

Rail deliveries were at 24.47 million st in July, compared with 21.82 million st in June and 34.3 million st in the year-ago month, while barge deliveries rose to a seven-month high 4.79 million st, up from 4.22 million st in June, but down from 5.71 million st a year ago.

Deliveries by truck also climbed to an 11-month high 4.09 million st, from 3.65 million st in June, but down from 4.83 million st in July 2019, while 3.92 million st was moved by conveyor, compared with 3.04 million st in June and 4.22 million st in the year-ago month.