Karandikars & Associates

Coal Prices Monthly

(Data Source: World Bank Commodity Markets section)

This section captures trend in monthly Coal prices of Australian and South African Coal. In the Table:

Coal (Australia): from February 2022, port thermal, f.o.b. Newcastle, 6000 kcal/kg futures price. From 2015 to January 2022, port thermal, f.o.b. Newcastle, 6000 kcal/kg spot price. 2002-2014, thermal GAR, f.o.b. piers, Newcastle/Port Kembla , 6,300 kcal/kg (11,340 btu/lb), less than 0.8% sulfur, 13% ash; previously 6,667 kcal/kg (12,000 btu/lb), less than 1.0% sulfur, 14% ash

Coal (South Africa): from January 2015, f.o.b. Richards Bay, NAR, 6,000 kcal/kg, sulfur less than 1%, forward month 1; from February 13, 2017 to December 2017, thermal NAR netback assessment f.o.b. Richards Bay 6,000 kcal/kg; during 2006-February 10, 2017 thermal NAR; during 2002-2005 6,200 kcal/kg (11,200 btu/lb), less than 1.0%, sulfur 16% ash; years 1990-2001 6390 kcal/kg (11,500 btu/lb)

Readers will come across the terms GAR and NAR, as above. GAR (Gross As Received) and NAR (Net As Received) are two different ways of measuring the energy content of coal. GAR is the total heat energy in the coal as it is received, including the moisture content. NAR is the usable heat energy available after the moisture has been converted to vapor during combustion, so it is lower than GAR and represents the actual energy available for use

View the trends graphically