coal

It's easy to loose track of what's happening in the real commercial world at present. If you listened to the popular press, you'd get the idea that coal was on the "outer". That it was in decline. That renewables are taking over. This is definitely not the case.

I'm an engineer based in Newcastle, NSW, so I'm familiar with what's happening in the "real" coal world.

Newcastle is the largest coal exporting port in the world. It now has 2 coal loader companies.

The oldest - Port Waratah Coal Services, despatchs some 8 million tonnes per month. On it's own, it was the largest coal exporter in the world. Even with that huge capacity, it's currently being upgraded, with a new berth being added. AND it is also planning the next stage of it's expansion.

Then add in the new Newcastle loader. That's the new NCIG Loader - it has just been commissioned. Another 2.5 million tonnes per month of coal despatches. NCIG is already working on it's second stage expansion, PLUS NCIG is now planning it's stage 3 expansion.

All the rail infrastructure between Newcastle and Gunnadah is being upgraded to cope with hugely increasing coal tonnages.

There's numerous new mines in the planning stage, right up through the Hunter Valley.

Add to the above, the coal loaders at Gladstone (RG Tanna and Barney Point), Mackay (Hay Pt and Dalrymple), Bowen (Abbott Pt) are all either being expanded, or upgrades are planned.

Rail infrastructure all up the east coast of Australia is being upgraded as fast as it can be done.

Explosives companies like Orica and IPL are expanding their explosive manufacturing capabilities as fast as they can, to service the coal industry. And so it goes on.

And it's all being driven by coal.

Growth in coal is huge - it's unstoppable - forget what the greenies are telling us - the world can't get enough of our coal.

Good quality coal sells for anywhere between $100 and $200 per tonne.

And then along comes ESI - it will have it's black coal equivelant on the market for $50 tonne.

Does anybody honestly think they won't be able to sell absolutely all they can make!!! This is going to be huge.