Morocco’s import of U.S. coal, along with Egypt’s, has significantly driven the growth of American coal exports, particularly to North Africa, according to Reuters, citing a U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report.
Cement and brick manufacturers in these two countries “collectively received over 5 million short tons of coal during the first half of 2024,” explained the same source.
This marks a significant increase from 3.3 million short tons (3 million metric tons) during the same period in 2023, according to Attaqa platform.
“These customers value the high heat content of U.S. thermal coal, which makes their manufacturing operations more efficient,” explained the EIA report.
From January to June 2024, 98% of U.S. thermal coal exports went to Morocco and Egypt.
In this regard, Morocco led the way with U.S. thermal coal exports reaching 2.8 million short tons (2.5 million metric tons) in the first half of 2024, compared to 1.4 million short tons (1.3 million metric tons) in the same period in 2023.
The high demand for U.S. thermal coal in North Africa is due to its high heat content, making it a preferred choice for industries such as cement and brick manufacturing, where it improves the efficiency of production processes.
Additional data from Kpler published this year confirms this, showing that Morocco ranks as one of the largest importers of U.S. coal, holding the fourth position with 6.7% of total imports. India tops the list at 36.3%, followed by the Netherlands at 13.4%, and Egypt at 8.5%.
Coal demand in North Africa and Asia is projected to grow in line with economic expansion and increasing energy needs. These regions are expected to remain profitable markets for exporters who can reliably supply the required quantities and quality.
Last year, U.S. coal exporters generated over $5 billion in revenue, shipping more than 32.5 million metric tons of coal.
The ongoing decline in domestic coal use for power generation, as reported by Reuters previously, has been the main reason behind the push to increase exports.
Reuters report also indicated that in 2022, U.S. fossil fuel exports, including coal, oil, gas, and refined fuels, contributed over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions abroad, about a third of the U.S.’s domestic emissions.
It added that a years-long drilling boom has made the U.S. the world’s top oil and gas producer, while robust demand has lifted its coal exports for four years running.
It’s worth mentioning the Professional Association of Cement Companies reported that cement sales exceeded 2.2 million tons during the first two months of 2024, marking a 7.52% increase compared to the same period in 2023. In February alone, sales reached 1.07 million tons, reflecting an 8.55% rise compared to February 2023.
For the entirety of 2023, cement sales totaled 12.51 million tons, a slight increase of 0.19% compared to 2022, according to data from the Ministry of National Planning, Urban Development, Housing, and City Policy.
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