Coal sales, production down in 2016

In total, during the first 11 months of 2016, Polish coal production was 63 million metric tons, a decrease of 1.1 percent, y/y, according to a report by Industrial Development Agency’s (the IDA) Katowice branch, released on Saturday. Coal sales reached 65.6 million tons (compared to 64.7 million tons at the end of October 2015).  Over the first 11 months of 2016, sales were 2.6 million tons higher than extraction, indicating reduced levels of coal in storage. On a monthly basis, the report said that in November coal sales were down slightly, m/m. They totalled 6.3 million tons, which was also a decrease, y/y, of 1.7 percent. However, the Ministry of Energy reported that sales growth to domestic consumers of coal, including the purchase of coal by the Agency for Material Reserves, led to the sales for November, to be at least higher than the amount extracted, which was 6.1 million tons. On the last day of 2016, the IDA indicated it will publish data for the whole of 2016 (including December) at the beginning of February. At the end of November the Polish coal mining industry employed 85,600 people, which was consistent with declines in the sector in 2015 and 2014.