South Africa, the world’s fifth-largest coal exporter, saw its coal exports plummet to the lowest level in nearly three decades last year, as rail disruptions hampered deliveries from mines to ports.
According to data from Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), the country’s main coal export facility, coal shipments dropped by 6.2% year-on-year to 47.2 million tons in 2023, the lowest since 1992.
The terminal’s chief executive officer, Alan Waller, told reporters in an online briefing that the state-owned rail company Transnet had failed to meet its target of delivering 60 million tons of coal to the facility, due to a range of challenges, including a shortage of locomotives, derailments, and crime.
Transnet’s performance has been deteriorating for years, affecting not only the coal sector, but also other key industries, such as iron ore, manganese, and chrome. The rail operator has been plagued by mismanagement, corruption, and aging infrastructure, which have undermined its efficiency and reliability.
The rail woes have also hurt the competitiveness of South African coal in the global market, as miners have faced higher costs and lower revenues. Some producers have resorted to using trucks to transport coal to the ports, but this option is more expensive, less environmentally friendly, and limited by road capacity.
The decline in coal exports has also had a negative impact on the country’s economy, which relies heavily on the commodity for foreign exchange earnings and job creation. Coal accounts for about 80% of South Africa’s primary energy supply and 30% of its total export value.
The situation is unlikely to improve in the near future, as Transnet faces a massive backlog of maintenance and upgrade projects, as well as ongoing operational challenges. On January 14, two trains collided on the coal line near Richards Bay, causing further delays and damage.
RBCT has set a “budgeted rate” of 50 million tons for coal exports this year, which roughly matches the amount of coal that reaches the facility by rail, according to the company’s presentation. However, this target is still far below the terminal’s design capacity of 91 million tons per year.
Meanwhile, the global demand for South African coal has also shifted, as some regions have reduced their reliance on fossil fuels for environmental reasons. Europe, which used to be a major destination for South African coal, imported only 6.1 million tons from RBCT in 2023, a 57% decline from the previous year.
India remained the main market for South African coal, with 19.7 million tons shipped from RBCT last year, followed by Pakistan with 7.9 million tons, and South Korea with 4.8 million tons.
Despite the challenges, some analysts believe that South African coal still has a future, especially in Asia, where coal-fired power generation is expected to grow in the coming years. South Africa has abundant coal reserves, estimated at over 30 billion tons, and some of the lowest-cost coal mines in the world.
However, to capitalize on this opportunity, the country will need to address its rail constraints and invest in new technologies and infrastructure to improve the quality and efficiency of its coal exports. It will also need to balance its coal interests with its commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy.
Source: Herald
