Russia plans to increase coal exports to 350.1 mln tonnes by 2050 under target scenario
MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) - Russia plans to increase coal exports to 350.1 million tonnes by 2050, according to the 2050 Energy Strategy.
This figure reflects the target scenario, which represents the priority option involving development of the fuel and energy sector. There is also an inertial scenario that maintains current operations without significant investment in development, under which coal exports by 2050 could reach 294.8 million tonnes.
Coal production under the target scenario could increase to 662 million tonnes, while under the inertial scenario it could reach 586.4 million tonnes. Domestic market supplies may accordingly reach 231.7 or 227.7 million tonnes.
By the intermediate year 2030, coal exports could grow to 266.7 million tonnes under the target scenario and to 243.5 million tonnes under the inertial scenario. Coal production by that year could reach a maximum of 530.1 million tonnes and a minimum of 491.6 million tonnes.
In 2024, coal production amounted to 443.5 million tonnes, with 196.2 million tonnes supplied for export, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who cited data in his column for the Energy Policy magazine. It is planned that Russia's coal production in 2025 will remain at the 2024 level, the Energy Ministry said. However, Novak said at the end of March that the production forecast for this year would be revised downwards.
The net loss of Russian coal companies in 2024 amounted to 112.6 billion rubles, compared to a profit of 374.7 billion rubles the previous year.
The Energy Ministry presented a draft anti-crisis program for the country's coal industry in mid-March 2025. It includes measures to improve logistics processes, develop international cooperation, support coal-mining regions and single-industry towns, as well as proposals for financial and tax support for the sector.
One of the program's key objectives is maintaining coal exports and attracting the investment necessary to sustain coal production, the ministry said.
