Baltimore bridge collapse to disrupt US coal exports
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The news: The collapse of a major Baltimore bridge is set to halt coal exports from one of the busiest US ports, likely disrupting global energy supplies.
The numbers: The bridge collapse is likely to shut down the port’s coal exports for up to six weeks and block the transport of up to 2.5 million tonnes of coal, Xcoal Energy and Resources CEO Ernie Thrasher told Bloomberg.
Baltimore was the second biggest port for US coal exports, shipping 20.3 million short tons of coal during the first nine months of 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The context: The US exported 74 million tonnes of coal last year, with Baltimore the second-largest terminal for the commodity, although the port ships less than 2% of global seaborne coal.
Much of that supply includes India-bound thermal coal, used for electricity generation. The disruption came after a massive cargo ship crippled by a loss of power smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge while sailing out of Baltimore Harbour on Tuesday.
The source: Bloomberg
