The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has announced that the demand by Thailand for Australian coal exports quadrupled in April 2016 compared to April 2015.
According to MCA, demand for high-quality Australian coal continues to rise in South East Asia due to increased electricity demand, powered by the growing urbanisation of the population.
“There are around 361 million people in the South East Asian region that have no electricity according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Australian coal exports are perfectly positioned to help play a central role in helping reduce energy poverty,” MCA stated in a media release.
“The increase in demand by Thailand for Australian coal exports reflects recent export increases to Vietnam. In February, Platts reported that demand for Australian coal from Vietnam increased by 538.8 per cent in February 2016 compared to February 2015. The IEA forecast that Australia’s exports of coal will grow by 36.7 per cent to 2040, increasing the Australian share of the global coal trade from 29 per cent in 2013 to 33 per cent in 2040.”