Annual Report 2010 - Verein der Kohlenimporteure eV

Exports
Colombia managed to increase its exports, according
tonne goal, because of poor weather. Colombia was
nevertheless able to hold on to its status as the fourth
largest seaborne coal exporting nation. The increase in
exports from Prodeco/Carbones De la Jagua of almost
35% or 3.1 million tonnes is notable. These mines were
purchased in 2010 by Glencore having exercised its
option to buy back the mines from Xstrata. Glencore
plans to increase annual production from the Prodeco
mine from its current 10 million tonnes/a to over 20
million tonnes/a in 2015.
Colombian coal goes primarily to the Atlantic market.
Of the total exports of steam coal, about 13 Mt went
to the Pacific region and about 56 Mt to the Atlantic
region. Exports to Europe stagnated at 38.1 Mt while
exports to Germany were up by 46% or 2.4 Mt to a total
terms. More than 8 Mt of hard coal were exported for
the first time to China, Taiwan and South Korea in 2010.
In contrast, exports to the USA declined by 2.8 Mt.
The lion’s share of exports, at 31.5 Mt, comes from the
Cerrejon opencast mine in the province of La Guajira,
followed by Drummond with 22.5 Mt from its opencast
mine in the neighbouring Cesar district.
Steam Coal Exports – Structure of Colombia
2008
Mt
2009
Mt
2010
Mt
America 34.3 24.5 22.3
North America (USA + Canada) 24.2 16.0 13.1
South and Central America 10.1 8.5 9.2
Asia --- --- 8.8
Europe 34.4 38.9 38.1
Mediterranean Region 11.2 10.5 11.3
North West Europe 23.2 28.4 26.8
Total
LB-T24
68.7 63.4 69.2
Smaller quantities of coking coal and coke are not
included in these export figures.
Key Figures Colombia
2008
Mt
2009
Mt
2010
Mt
Hard Coal Production 73.0 70.0 75.1 1)
Hard Coal Exports
Steam Coal
Coking Coal
69.3
68.7
0.6
66.3
63.4
2.9
72.7
69.2
3.5
Imports to Germany 5.8 5.2 7.6
Export Rate in % 95 95 97
1)
LB-T25
Infrastructure
The already extensive infrastructure for the transport
and export of coal is currently being expanded and
reviewed. Most coal is transported by train to the
whose tracks the coal from the Cesar mining region is
transported, has changed. A series of producers, among
them Coalcorp, Caribe (Vale) and Prodeco acquired
shares in the railway, ending Drummond’s sole access
to its capacity.
At the smaller sea ports, capacities were increased
slightly, although they were not fully used. A consortium
of mine operators under the leadership of Prodeco
participated in the construction of Puerto Nuevo, a new
coal terminal with a transhipping capacity of 30 Mtpa
including direct boat loading.
In the long term, the expansion of the Panama Canal,
now underway and planned for completion by 2014,
is of major significance for Colombian exporters. This
expansion is perceived as the key to increasing exports
to the Pacific region. It will make it possible for smaller
Capesize vessels to go through the canal instead of
sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, as in the past.
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