In previous years, the 3rd and 4th seasons were the off-season for coal consumption. At this time, coal prices will all the way down. This year, coal prices have continued to rise, uncharacteristically. Compared with the end of last year, the current price of coal per ton has increased by 10%. For this reason, each ceramics company needs to pay thousands of yuan more every day.
This has pushed up the already high production costs for all coal-based ceramic enterprises. It is understood that due to the different coal standards and suppliers of each ceramic company, the daily additional cost of each ceramic company is also different, ranging from an increase of 2,000 yuan per day to as much as 6,000 yuan per day.
Coal prices rise another 10%
The operational burden of ceramic enterprises has increased
A few days ago, "Ceramic Information" learned from many ceramic companies in Shandong that since the resumption of production this year, coal prices for various ceramic companies in Shandong have increased to varying degrees. Especially since late March, coal prices have risen again, further increasing the production costs of ceramic companies.
In fact, the rise in coal prices has a certain impact on the production costs of coal-using ceramics companies. "In the past ten days, the price of coal has increased significantly. One ton has increased by 60 yuan, an increase of 10%. Our company uses more than 100 tons of coal (pulverizing) a day. In other words, we will spend more every day The cost is 6,000 yuan," a general manager of a ceramics company in Zibo told "Ceramic Information" on condition of anonymity.
In Zibo, there are many production lines that cost an extra 6,000 yuan a day. In one month, ceramic companies will have to spend nearly 200,000 yuan more. Even for a small-capacity production line, if it consumes 40 tons of coal (milling) per day, the ceramics company will pay an extra 2,400 yuan per day.
What is even more troublesome for ceramic companies is that on March 30, some ceramic companies received a notice from their coal suppliers, "Starting from April 1, the price of coal will rise from 680 yuan per ton to 700 yuan."
The general manager of the above-mentioned ceramic company told "Ceramic Information" that at this time in previous years, coal prices would begin to fall. At the end of last year, the price of coal used by his company was between 570 and 580 yuan, but at the beginning of this year, coal prices began to rise. Although there were some dips in the middle, the overall price rose a lot.
It is understood that due to factors such as increased labor costs and rising raw material prices, the production costs of most ceramic companies have already increased by 20%-30%. At this time, the rise in coal prices will once again increase the operational burden on the shoulders of ceramic enterprises.
Multiple factors push up coal prices
Port coal prices may continue to rise in April
According to an unnamed coal supplier, there are two main factors causing the current rise in coal prices: First, after the mining disaster in Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province last year, the state took action to inspect and rectify the mines, and the mines are currently under construction. The rate is not high; on the other hand, due to low export prices, some coal exporting countries have reduced coal exports to China.
Coal industry analysts believe that many countries are currently implementing loose monetary policies and carbon emission reduction policies will tighten domestic coal production capacity, which will jointly push coal prices upward in the off-season. Due to the global inflationary factors, the price center of bulk commodities will move upward. In addition, due to the upcoming introduction of carbon neutrality and carbon emission reduction policies, the market generally believes that coal production capacity will gradually tighten, resulting in a tight balance in the off-season.
It is understood that on March 26, nearly 30 coal mines released price adjustment information, with the highest one-time increase of 80 yuan per ton. The highest price of mine-mouth lump coal has soared to 650 yuan per ton, a single-week increase of nearly 8%, and a significant increase of 126 yuan per ton compared with the same period last year. In addition, some professionals predict that port coal prices may continue to rise in April.
(The article is reproduced from Ceramic Information)
