Demand grows in a changing world

摘要

At October's Coaltrans conference in Barcelona most agreed that coal demand will continue strong through 2005 and beyond. But changing patterns of demand are already visible. Delegates to this year's Coaltrans conference in Barcelona in October were already aware of the exceptionally optimistic mood among producers. In the short and medium-term, demand for coal seems as strong as ever. In the long-term too, the outlook favours producers: according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), coal-bum will be 50 per cent higher in 2030 than today. Coal buyers at Coaltrans may not have shared quite the same degree of delight, but producers are on a roll, and they were determined to make the most of it.