RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to the National Association of Coal Producers (Fenalcarbon), the volume of coking coal exported in 2021 reached 4.2 million tons, the highest ever recorded in Colombia.
Compared to 2020, this represents an increase of almost 26%. “According to our preliminary figures, we will export 4.2 million tons of coking coal in 2021, worth approximately US$1.4 billion, surpassing the value recorded in 2020,” assured Carlos Cante, Executive President of Fenalcarbón.
“Coking coal will become the fifth national export product in 2021, surpassing in FOB values traditional exports such as flowers and ferronickel. It will also promote the development of key sectors such as the transport chain, logistics and ports, with a turnover of more than US$250 million,” Cante added.
In addition, the executive president of Fenalcarbón explained that the global demand for the production of steel and ferroalloys has allowed an increase in coke exports, despite some internal situations such as work stoppages and blockades in the first half of 2021.
In addition, the port of Barranquilla, the main coking coal export terminal, was congested during most of the year.
The union president pointed out that this is a sector in which metallurgical coal receives added value through an industrial process that makes it a key product for the production of steel and ferroalloys in the world.
LARGE EXPORTER
Colombia is the third-largest exporter in the world, after China and Poland. The quality of the Colombian product is recognized worldwide, and the Colombian industry uses cutting-edge technology in the processing of coking coal to meet the demands of the international market.
In recent years, in addition to metallurgical coke, the country has strengthened its position in low-phosphorus coke produced in Norte de Santander, which is in demand by the ferroalloy industry and accounts for between 15 and 20% of exported coke.
In this scenario, Fenalcarbón remains optimistic and expects that exports could increase by 7% to 4.5 million tons by 2022, depending on the domestic supply of metallurgical coal and the current installed capacity of this industry, but above all on whether market prices remain favorable.