Rail shipments of Kuzbass coal for export up 0.8% in 2019
KEMEROVO. Jan 16 (Interfax) - Railways shipments of coal for export from the Kuznetsk basin (Kuzbass) rose by 0.8% to 147.3 million tonnes in 2019, Russian Railways (RZD) reported.
This included 52.8 million tonnes of coal shipped east from Kuzbass, 77 million tonnes shipped northwest and 9.4% million tonnes shipped to seaports in southern Russia, respectively 3.5%, 4.4% and 27.1% more than in 2018.
"Shipments of Kuzbass coal amount to more than 70% of the total amount of exports of this cargo from Russia," RZD said.
However, shipments of Kuzbass coal on domestic routes slumped 3.6% to 79.5 million tonnes in 2019.
"Thus, Kuzbass coal mining companies' overall amount of [freight car] loading totalled 226.8 million tonnes in 2019, which is 0.8% less than in 2018," RZD said.
RZD's network carried a total of 372 million tonnes of coal in 2019, 0.8% less than a year earlier. Export shipments rose 0.9% to 208.3 million tonnes, while domestic shipments fell 2.9% to 163.7 million tonnes.