India’s expanding steel sector rests on an uneven raw-material base: abundant domestic iron ore and greater use of locally sourced scrap contrast with a deepening dependence on imported coking coal. Imports surged 15.2% to 66.33 Mt in FY2025-26, and official projections indicate they could meet nearly 86% of a 161 Mt requirement by FY2030, leaving mills exposed to volatile seaborne prices despite improving domestic washery efficiency.

The new FCN contract broadens Ducon’s role in the aluminium value chain. The company expects further opportunities from India’s aluminium and thermal-power capacity expansion.

Australian rail freight operator Aurizon has secured a long-term coal haulage contract for BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s operations in Central Queensland. The contract will take effect in July 2028 and replace the existing agreement signed in 2015. It allows for annual haulage of up to 37 Mt and could run for as long as 12 years, subject to agreed performance and extension arrangements. The contract covers the Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Peak Downs, Saraji and Caval Ridge metallurgical coal mines. The 37 Mt figure represents the maximum rail haulage capacity under the contract, rather than mine production, incremental output or a guaranteed transport volume.

Yancoal Australia reported attributable saleable coal production of 19.8 Mt for the first half of 2026, up 5% year on year and representing a first-half production record. Attributable coal sales increased 20% to 19.8 Mt, including a 22% increase in thermal coal sales to 16.8 Mt and a 9% increase in metallurgical coal sales to 3.1 Mt. The company’s average realised thermal coal price increased 4% to A$143/t, while its metallurgical coal price rose 4% to A$216/t. The overall realised coal price increased 3% to A$154/t. Higher volumes and prices lifted revenue by 13% to A$3.024 billion and operating EBITDA by 29% to A$767 million. Profit after tax nevertheless declined 90% to A$17 million due to A$272 million of non-operating items, most of which the company described as non-cash accounting items. Yancoal maintained its 2026 attributable saleable production guidance of 36.5–40.5 Mt and expects output to be in the upper half of the range. Higher diesel prices are expected to push cash operating costs into the upper half of the A$90–98/t guidance range.

Australian coal producer New Hope Corporation reported run-of-mine coal production of 4.74 Mt for the quarter ended 31 July 2026, up 11.3% from the previous quarter. Saleable coal production increased 1.6% to 3.055 Mt, while coal sales declined 5.4% to 3.023 Mt. The group’s average realised sales price rose 10.7% to A$155.8/t, mainly reflecting increases in the gC NEWC 6000 and API-5 5500 thermal coal indices. For FY2026, saleable coal production increased 7.6% year on year to 11.518 Mt, while coal sales rose 11.8% to 11.789 Mt, with both slightly exceeding the upper end of the company’s guidance. Production recovered at Bengalla Mine, while planned wash-plant maintenance, noise-related operating constraints and rail industrial action reduced New Acland’s quarterly saleable production and sales by 13.2% and 6.7%, respectively.

Recently, China Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry achieved phased results in the large-scale utilization of green hydrogen and the low-carbon integration with coal chemical production, providing fresh practical reference for the green transformation of the traditional coal chemical industry. As of August 14, 2026, Ningxia Coal Industry had utilized a cumulative 21.3864 million standard m³ of green hydrogen and produced 10,800 mt of green ammonia, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 36,500 mt. These results indicate that China's first industrial demonstration project for coupling a high proportion of green hydrogen with coal-based synthetic ammonia production has achieved phased success. The project introduced green hydrogen produced from renewable energy into the coal chemical production process. Through deep integration of green hydrogen with traditional processes, it explores a technical pathway for the synergistic development of renewable energy and the modern coal chemical industry. The achievement of the project's phased goals also provides real-world application scenarios for solving the challenge of large-scale green hydrogen utilization. Green hydrogen is produced using electricity from renewable energy, resulting in low carbon emissions during production, and serves as a crucial link between the new energy and traditional, energy-intensive industries. Using green hydrogen in ammonia production can not only reduce the demand for hydrogen from fossil fuels but also help lower carbon emissions across the entire life cycle of coal chemical products. In recent years, Ningxia Coal Industry, aligning with the national 'dual carbon' goals, has continuously refined its green development layout, making energy conservation, carbon reduction, and low-carbon transformation a key focus for the enterprise's high-quality development. By promoting upgrades to traditional coal chemical facilities, expanding application scenarios for green hydrogen, and strengthening coal chemical integration, the enterprise has gradually formed an industrial pathway for the synergistic development of green hydrogen, green ammonia, and the coal chemical industry. The green ammonia production exceeding 10,000 mt this time signifies that the application of green hydrogen in large-scale coal chemical scenarios has further moved from demonstration validation towards scaled-up practice. The construction, operation, and utilization experience accumulated from the project can serve as a reference for other coal chemical enterprises in adopting green hydrogen substitution, optimizing their energy mix, and reducing production emissions. As the capacity for hydrogen production from renewable energy continues to increase, the integration of green hydrogen with the coal chemical and synthetic ammonia industries is expected to expand further. The phased results achieved by Ningxia Coal Industry provide a practical sample for exploring green, low-carbon transformation models for energy-intensive industries, and they also open new pathways for the local conversion and utilization of regional new energy resources.

Russia exported 12.5 mnt of coal to South Korea in the first half of 2026, an increase of 5.9 mnt, or 89.4%, year on year. Russia accounted for approximately 22% of South Korea’s coal imports and became its second-largest supplier after Australia. South Korea’s total coal imports rose by 21.3% to 56.9 mnt, with Russia contributing around 59% of the net increase. Australian shipments to South Korea increased by 35.4% to 19.5 mnt, while Indonesian supplies declined by 2.5% to 11.9 mnt and Canadian deliveries rose by 33.3% to 5.6 mnt. Combined growth from Russia and Australia reached 11 mnt, exceeding the 10 mnt increase in South Korea’s total imports and offsetting lower shipments from Indonesia, Colombia and the United States.

Global coal markets generally strengthened over the past week, although performance varied across regions and grades. European thermal coal indices rose above $124/t, supported by firmer oil and gas prices, geopolitical risks and weaker renewable and nuclear generation during the heatwave. South African 6,000 kcal/kg high-CV coal exceeded $109/t, with additional support from Indian enquiries and a 12 August train derailment that disrupted deliveries to Richards Bay Coal Terminal. China’s Qinhuangdao 5,500 NAR spot price strengthened above $126/t. Coal stocks at nine major ports declined by 0.87 mnt week on week to 26.51 mnt, while inventories at six major coastal thermal power plants fell by 0.25 Mt to 14.01 Mt. Lower inventories and tighter mine safety inspections supported domestic prices and increased Chinese traders’ interest in imported blending coal. Indonesian 5,900 GAR coal rose to $104.5/t, while 4,200 GAR material approached $64/t. Australian thermal coal prices were mixed, with 6,000 high-CV coal falling below $128/t while 5,500 mid-CV material strengthened to $95–96/t. Meanwhile, limited availability of premium metallurgical coal, renewed purchasing and improved Chinese market sentiment lifted the Australian HCC index to $224/t.

Shipments of Russian and Kazakh coal through Azov–Black Sea ports nearly came to a halt in August following repeated attacks on merchant vessels and a widespread withdrawal of insurance coverage. Turkish thermal coal quotations resumed their upward trend in mid-August after rising by 15–20% in late July. Russian coal for September-October delivery through northwestern Russian terminals was offered at around $120/t CFR, the highest level since autumn 2023. Non-Russian material, including Colombian and South African origins, was offered at $130–140/t CFR.

South Korea’s coal-product imports increased by 22% month on month to 12.54 mnt in July 2026, from 10.24 mnt in June. Bituminous coal imports rose by 27% to 12.04 mnt, accounting for approximately 96% of total coal-product imports, while thermal coal arrivals were estimated at around 8.54 mnt, a multi-month high. During January-July 2026, South Korea imported 70.2 mnt of coal products, up 19% year on year. Bituminous coal imports increased by more than 11.3 mnt to 66.3 mnt, effectively explaining the overall growth. In contrast, anthracite imports fell by 24% to 1.82 mnt, while petroleum coke imports declined by 12% to 0.28 mnt. The July increase was mainly supported by peak summer electricity demand and elevated LNG prices.