RBCT coal exports up 20% in March
Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) - the world's leading coal export terminal - saw a 20% year-on-year (y/y) surge in tonnage shipped to 7.5-million tons (Mt) after February's 10.4% y/y decline to 5.5Mt and a 5.6% y/y drop in January to 4.2Mt.
Last year RBCT shipped a total of 68.3Mt‚ a 4.3% increase on 2011. The increase in the first quarter was only 2.2% y/y.
RBCT currently has a capacity to export 91Mt per annum and in October will decide whether to expand that to 110Mt in the sixth phase expansion plan. The annualised rate in March 2013 was 88.19Mt.
Coal exports from RBCT in October 2011 reached a record shipment of 7.381Mt or an annualised 88.6Mt. In March this record was beaten‚ but as March has one more day than October‚ the annualised rate in March was less than in October.
State-owned freight and logistics group Transnet is aiming to increase coal exports from 68Mt per annum to 97.5Mt per annum over the next few years as it invests in more rolling stock.