U.S. coal exports for the first quarter of 2017 were 58 percent higher than in the same quarter last year, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced on Wednesday.
Steam coal exports increased by 6 million short tons (MMst) and metallurgical coal exports increased by 2 MMst in the same period, the Administration said, adding that most of these exports were shipped from the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico ports.
In the EIA’s most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook, the agency expects growth in coal exports to slow in the coming months, with total 2017 exports forecast at 72 MMst, 11 MMst, or 19 percent, higher than in 2016.
With coal exports running well below export capacity, no significant expansions of coal export facilities in the U.S. are currently under construction, the EIA reported.
Coal export capacity in 2016 totaled 257 MMst, compared with the total coal exports of 61 MMst, EIA noted.
The agency added that facilities in the Norfolk, Virginia area alone have the capacity to export approximately 84 MMst annually—more than the total amount of coal exported from all U.S. ports in 2016.
By Ebru Sengul
Anadolu Agency
energy.@aa.com.tr