South Korea: KEPCO coal freight bids diverge across Indonesian, Australian routes

• Dong-A Tanker bids $12.39/t for Samarinda-Taean shipment
• Pan Ocean quotes $21.98/t for Gladstone-Samcheonpo cargo

Freight bids in Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) tenders concluded on 22 October showed a marked difference between Indonesian and Australian coal routes to South Korea, with Australian-origin shipments attracting higher quotations.

Dong-A Tanker bid $12.39/tonne (t) for an 80,000-t shipment from Samarinda to Taean, scheduled for 6-15 November loading. Pan Ocean quoted $21.98/t for an equivalent-sized cargo from Gladstone to Samcheonpo, with loading planned for 5-14 November.

Indonesian coal freight

The latest Samarinda-Taean bid came below recent quotations for other Indonesian routes. Pan Ocean had bid $14.80/t for an 80,000-t Taboneo-Yongheung shipment in the 21 October tender, compared with $13.38/t for Balikpapan-Boryeong on 20 October. Differences in routes and shipment requirements limit direct comparisons.

Australian coal freight

For Australian coal, Pan Ocean’s Gladstone-Samcheonpo bid of $21.98/t was $0.48/t higher than Woohyun’s $21.50/t quotation for an 80,000-t Gladstone-Dangjin shipment in a KEPCO tender on 7 October.