Germany’s VDKi sees coal imports down 16-30%; berates govt

摘要

German coal importers association VDKi has forecast the nation’s hard coal imports will fall to 29.5-35.5 mt in 2020, from 42.0 mt last year, and has strongly criticised Berlin’s handling of the coal phase-out. VDKi said it expected thermal coal imports to be 17.5-22.5 mt this year, down from 29.2 mt in 2019. Imports of coking coal and coke will be 12.0-13.0 mt from 13.1 mt in the same period. Movement restrictions and the fall in economic activity due to coronavirus had weighed on the energy sector, with conventional power plants bearing the brunt of the decline in electricity consumption, the association said.