Is Russian coal on its way to crisis or at a crossroads?

Alexander Titov, senior expert at the Energy Department of the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to the InfoTEK Internet portal on the Russian coal industry development in 2024 and its prospects for 2025.

By the end of 2024, Russian coal enterprises may reduce coal exports by 7-8%, to 197 million tons, Alexander Titov estimated.

In the first 11 months of this year, exports decreased by 9% to 180 million tons, but shipments increased in December. The geography of supplies has not actually changed compared to last year. The main buyers of Russian coal were China, India, Turkey, South Korea, and Vietnam. The main reduction occurred in India due to a drawdown in exports from ports in Southern Russia in 2024. At the same time, supplies to Turkey are kept stable due to a short transport distance.

In 2024, Russian coal miners faced two main challenges: in the first half of the year, record low export prices, and in the second, the traditional escalation of problems with coal exports by the Russian Railways network.