LITTLETON, Colo., Dec 21 (Reuters) – China has played a diminished role in global coal markets in 2022 as the country’s repeated lockdowns to stem the spread of COVID-19 curtailed industry and other coal-burning activities.
The country’s total thermal coal consumption was largely flat over the first half of the year – a sharply slower growth rate compared with 2021 – while imports are on course for their largest annual contraction since at least 2017, data from Kpler shows.
Lower combined usage and imports by the world’s top coal producer, consumer and importer helped offset the increase in coal demand seen in Europe and elsewhere this year, and potentially curbed the climb in overall coal emissions in 2022.
China coal use seasonally
But recent measures aimed at lifting movement restrictions and reviving economic activity in China are already resulting in increased coal import activity at key usage hubs, which stand to impact global…
