In order to turn United States into a coal-exporting superpower, the country has been exploring new markets in Europe, where Russia is the current dominant energy supplier.
Accordingly, the United States has sent its first shipment of Anthracite coal to Ukraine from port of Baltimore.
US Pennsylvania-based Coal Energy and Resources signed a contract with Ukraine’s Energy Company Centerenergo to provide 700,000 MT of anthracite coal in the next few months. The first shipment of 62,000 MT is expected to arrive on Ukraine’s Yuzhnyy port in three weeks time.
Most of Ukraine’s power plants have been running on Anthracite coal, which came from parts of Donbas that are now controlled by Russia based separatists.
Since the conflict in Eastern Ukraine broke out in 2014, the Ukrainian government has cut off coal supplies from the separatist-controlled areas, leaving the country struggling to meet its energy demands.
US have sought out this opportunity to help Ukraine increase its energy security while reviving jobs lost by US coal miners.
President Trump led US Government has even vowed to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement stating it will affect the country’s economy. US Coal exports have increased 32% Y-o-Y to 61.22 MnT during Jan’17-Jun’17 period, according to the US customs data.
Moreover, Trump has offered to ship Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by tanker to eastern countries of Poland and Lithuania, which are heavily dependent on Russia’s natural gas.
Lithuania is expected to receive a first tanker of LNG from the US this week.
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