Despite a move to renewable energy, particularly in Europe, demand for coal globally soared in 2018, led by low calorific value (CV) coal demand. The strongest import markets were China and India, while Indonesia performed extremely strongly on the supply side. China’s demand for coal strengthened in the first half of 2018, and eased towards the end of the year. This year, however, looks "deeply uncertain", says IHS Markit research and analysis manager Sareena Patel.
