Russian coal producer Siberian Anthracite, located in the Novosibirsk region, plans to increase the capacity of one of its two washing plants – Listvyanskaya 1 – to 2.6mn t/yr next year from 2mn t/yr this year, after installing new equipment.

The company is also continuing to overhaul its second washing plant – Listvyanskaya 2 – which started in mid-January and is expected to be completed by the end of March. The company wants Listvyanskaya 2 to run smoothly while Listvyanskaya 1 is put off line. The two washing plants’ existing combined capacity stands at 6mn t/yr.

Reconstruction of the plants allows us to more effectively manage the quality and range of our products, to meet the requirements of different consumers,» the firm says.

Siberian Anthracite mines ultra-high grade (UHG) anthracite, which is widely used in steelmaking because of its high carbon and calorific value and its low sulphur, volatile matter and ash content. The run-of-mine anthracite has a 6,000–8,100 kcal/kg calorific value, 0.3pc sulphur content, 13.5pc moisture content, 13pc ash content and 95pc carbon content. The processed coal has a 7,059–8,109 kcal/kg calorific value, 0.3pc sulphur, 9pc moisture, 5pc ash and 97pc carbon content. The company’s total Jorc reserves at its licensed plots were 351.6mn t of UHG anthracite, as of 1 April 2013.

Last year, the company produced 4.87mn t of anthracite, a 4pc increase from 2014, according to state energy information agency CDU TEK. Generally Siberian Anthracite exports nearly 90pc of its production. The company’s key markets are Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America. The firm declined to disclose its output and export targets for this year.

From China to South Korea

Siberian Anthracite’s exports last year plunged by 10.6pc on the year to just below 4.3mn t, as a result of fewer deliveries to China, which in late 2014 introduced a programme to lower its dependence on imported coal. Siberian Anthracite is Russia’s key exporter of anthracite to China. Its exports to China totalled 613,000t in 2015, down from 2.1mn t a year earlier, according to rail data, as Russia’s total exports of anthracite to China fell by 34pc on the year to 2.8mn t.

The firm has partially offset the drop in its China-bound deliveries with a rise in shipments to South Korea, which increased in 2015 by 1.3mn t on the year to 1.9mn t.

Last year, Siberian Anthracite decided to extend the deadline for its investment programme, which aims to raise capacity to 9.5mn t/yr, because of declining prices and low demand in export markets (ARC, 21 May, p5). The new deadline of 2019 is two years later than previously planned.

Материал предоставлен международным ценовым агентством Argus Media