According to the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Notice on the lifting of the temporary price intervention measures of coal for power generation, from January 2013 to lift the price of coal administrative intervention in the pricing of independent consultations by the supply and demand sides. This will be an important step for the industry as the coal market-oriented reforms. Today, a quarter later, the impact of coal market placid, but still can get a glimpse of the New Deal.
Since the beginning of this year, China's main north-south coal ports showed varying degrees of trading sluggish situation, the coal pressure in Hong Kong is more prevalent. In China's largest coal transshipment port - Qinhuangdao Port coal in the first quarter of this year, in addition to showing the trade deficit to increase, the amount of coal stocks increasing. A storage capacity of 10.18 million tons of coal this port, the current inventory of nearly 900 million tons of coal. In addition, the Bohai Sea Port coal stockpiles close to 20 million tons. Coal market supply and demand is changing.
There are three main reasons for the current coal market. First, the price of coal is fully liberalized, helps to reflect the actual price and demand situation, to promote market run according to the laws. In the past, due to government-led regulation first, visible Satisfy with two Despite their attempts to maintain fair trade, but the supply and demand sides often each game not show weakness, coal prices are easily distorted, not really reflect the relationship between supply and demand. Lifting of policy interventions, both supply and demand to meet directly, eliminating the interference of a variety of non-market factors, increased price transparency, more conducive to long-term purchase and sales contracts entered into with each other, thus weakening market seasonal division to ensure that market transactions has stabilized.
Is due to the domestic coal industry continued to expand over the years, with the continuous release of new capacity, the coal production already exceeds the actual demand; large excess accumulation of coal port, further fueled the market waiting to see the atmosphere, leading to weak prices.
Third, the external coal with the price advantage, the strong momentum of imports, the greater the impact on the domestic coal market. In January of this year alone, China imported 30.55 million tons of raw coal, an increase of 56%. Port coal trading Hebei Province, for example, the first two months of this year, Hebei port imported 5.69 million tons of coal, an increase of 61%, the average import price of about 136 U.S. dollars / ton; export 170,000 tons of coal, down 80%, with an average price of about 140 U.S. dollars / ton. Visible foreign coal mainly as a weapon at a low price, the impact of the domestic coal market.
Coal market tends to be market-oriented operation, belonging to coal as a large chemical industry is good. With the continuous use of new technologies, new processes, coal chemical raw coal to achieve a revolutionary change. Such as in the traditional nitrogen fertilizer industry, the introduction of space heaters, coal-water slurry gasification technology, Texaco furnace technology, some companies get rid of the dependence of the smoke-free lump in favor of bituminous coal in the market demand procurement different coals. The bulk coal market operation, the price agreed upon by the supply and demand sides, undoubtedly constitute a real good traditional coal chemical industry. The same time, such as coal oil, coal, methanol and olefins such as new coal chemical industry in recent years is the sudden emergence of these industries in the rise of the development process, to have a stable coal market match is very necessary and timely.
In addition, for large and medium-sized chemical businesses with captive power plant, coal trading market running posture, as well as coal supply will maintain long-term overcapacity, can effectively prevent coal prices fluctuated, help to reduce the corporate power and steam production costs, thickening of its operating results.