SOLID FUELS & DRY BULK CARGO PROCUREMENT DESK
Global Coal Trade operates as a procurement and cargo coordination desk for industrial buyers sourcing thermal coal, coking coal, petcoke, anthracite, biomass pellets, and coke breeze.
We are not a mine. We do not claim to own production. What we do is connect industrial buyers with credible cargo positions — matching specification, origin, vessel basis, laycan, and discharge port in markets where getting one of those variables wrong is expensive.
FOB, CFR, and CIF. Richards Bay, Kalimantan, Colombia, and Australia. SGS and Intertek inspection at load port. Panamax, Supramax, and Capesize basis. B2B only. Minimum: 25,000 MT.
WHAT MOVES THROUGH THIS DESK
Most solid fuel procurement problems are not specification problems. The grade is available. The issue is that the freight economics don't work at that moment, or the laycan window doesn't align with the vessel's positioning, or the load port queue at Richards Bay has extended the delivery timeline past the buyer's inventory window.
We coordinate across those variables — origin selection, vessel type, freight corridor economics, laycan structuring, and specification alignment between load port grade and discharge requirement.
If you are buying: submit your specification, volume, discharge port, and laycan. We respond with current positions that match.
If you are selling: submit your origin, grade, vessel basis, and laycan. We advise on discharge market demand that can absorb your position.
Structured inquiries receive a response within one business day.
CURRENT INQUIRY ACTIVITY
These reflect the type of cargo flows currently moving through the desk. They are indicative of market activity — not confirmed deal announcements.
Thermal Coal — Mediterranean
RB1-specification cargoes into Turkish cement and power utility discharge. Buyers weighing API 4-linked pricing against Colombian origin freight differential. Panamax basis. CFR Iskenderun and Aliaga.
Indonesian Thermal Coal — India and Southeast Asia
GAR 5,000 and NAR 5,800 equivalent cargoes into Indian west coast utility buyers. ICI 3 reference. Supramax and Panamax. Laycan tolerance discussions ongoing given Kalimantan loading complexity.
Fuel Grade Petcoke — Cement Industry
Turkish and Egyptian cement plants reviewing petcoke-to-coal spread economics. High sulphur fuel grade. Sulphur tolerance and vanadium ceiling confirmed at inquiry stage. CFR basis.
Hard Coking Coal — Steel Sector
CSR 62+ positions for Indian and Southeast Asian integrated steel buyers. Queensland origin. Specification alignment in progress. Panamax and Capesize from Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point.
PRODUCTS AND FUEL GRADES
Thermal Coal
NAR and GAR specification basis. Origins: Richards Bay (API 4 reference, NAR 5,500 to 6,300), Kalimantan (ICI 4 through ICI 1, GAR 4,200 to 6,500), Puerto Bolivar (API 5, lower sulphur than RB), and Newcastle (NEWC index basis). Pricing referenced to the relevant index per origin.
Coking Coal
Hard coking coal and semi-soft for blast furnace and direct reduction applications. CSR, volatile matter, and ash specifications match to buyer blend requirement. Queensland origin standard for hard coking; global origin for semi-soft depending on availability.
Petcoke — Fuel Grade
High-sulphur petroleum coke for cement kiln co-firing, industrial calciners, and boiler substitution. Calorific value typically NAR 7,800 to 8,300 kcal/kg. Sulphur 4.5% to 7.5% fuel grade.
ORIGINS, FREIGHT LOGIC, AND WHY IT MATTERS
Freight is not a cost line to add after the coal price. It determines which origin is competitive at which discharge port on any given day.
Richards Bay versus Colombia for Mediterranean discharge shifts with Atlantic vessel positioning and US Gulf activity. A 3 to 5 USD/MT freight differential can swing buyer preference from South African to Colombian origin within a single month. We track that spread.
Kalimantan loading is inherently more complex than Richards Bay or Newcastle. River barge transfer to floating transfer vessels adds time and widens laycan tolerance requirements. Buyers with tight delivery windows should factor this into origin selection.
WHO WORKS WITH THIS DESK
Power utilities procuring thermal coal for generation — NAR 5,500 to 6,000, consistent specification, predictable scheduling, full ASTM documentation.
Cement and clinker plants managing fuel economics — thermal coal to specification, petcoke co-firing evaluation, blend ratio structuring.
Industrial boilers and process heat applications — consistent specification within narrow tolerance, cargo sizing matched to storage and consumption cycle.
Steel industry buyers — hard coking coal, semi-soft blends, PCI, coke breeze.
INSPECTION, TRADE TERMS, AND DOCUMENTATION
Quality inspection by SGS or Intertek at load port as standard. ASTM or ISO methodology per buyer requirement. Certificates form part of the standard shipping document set.
Standard analysis covers: total moisture, ash (air-dried basis), volatile matter, fixed carbon, total sulphur, calorific value (GAR/ADB/NAR as required), size distribution.
Delivery: FOB load port, CFR discharge port, CIF discharge port. Incoterms 2020.
Trade finance: Letter of Credit (sight or deferred) or Documentary Collection.
SUBMIT A CARGO INQUIRY
Buying — Solid Fuel Procurement
To receive relevant cargo positions, tell us:
Product and specification
Volume in MT and frequency
Discharge port
Laycan window
Delivery basis preference (FOB, CFR, or CIF)
Selling — FOB Position or Cargo Coverage
To find discharge market demand for your cargo, tell us:
Origin and load port
Product grade (GAR, NAR, or ADB)
Volume and vessel type
Laycan and Trade basis
Urgent or Time-Sensitive Inquiry
Direct WhatsApp access to the desk. Structured inquiry preferred — include product, volume, and laycan in your first message.
MINIMUM CARGO: 25,000 MT
VESSEL TYPES: SUPRAMAX · PANAMAX · CAPESIZE
DELIVERY BASIS: FOB · CFR · CIF
INSPECTION: SGS · INTERTEK
PRICING REFERENCES: API 4 · API 5 · ICI 4 · NEWC
Global Coal Trade — Cargo Coordination and Procurement Desk
Part of the RapidaTrade Network.