Issue 35, 2023 - This week's editorial: Coking coal markets could 'break' in the near future
A looming global shortage of coking coal supply is being exacerbated by problems with investing in new mining capacity. If supply does not pick up, coking coal markets could “break”, according to Mark Bolton, general manager for marketing and logistics at Jellinbah Group.

At the heart of the problem are barriers to investment. In Australia, investment is increasingly difficult and risky. Permitting applications are taking much longer and are more complicated. They can also be questioned even after they are issued, meaning investors must bear a greater risk to their investments, Bolton noted at the Eurocoke conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

Applications must now also come with solutions for Scope 1 carbon emissions. These include equipment, which can be electrified, or by using hydrogen, and also fugitive gases, which are difficult to control.

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