Shipments from the Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) terminals at Australia's key port of Newcastle fell 4.1pc on the year in October, from 9.1mn t to 8.7mn t, according to PWCS data, as high-grade coal prices jumped 12.9pc over the same period.
- Year-to-date shipments from the terminal remain above 2023 levels owing to high shipping volumes in the first quarter of the year.
- Vessel turnaround times at the terminal in October were down 14.8pc on the year, from 4.7 days to 4.1 days.
- Argus' NAR 6,000 kcal/kg coal fob Newcastle price reached a low of $118/t in February 2024, before rising to $140/t in November.
- October was the third-busiest month at the port this year.
- PWCS' coal stockpile fell 30pc, from 2mn t to 1.7mn t, from September to October.
| PWCS coal loading data | |||||
| Oct '24 | Sep '24 | Oct '23 | Jan - Oct '24 | Jan - Oct '23 | |
| PWCS loadings (mn t) | 8.7 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 82.0 | 76.8 |
| PWCS stockpiles (mn t) | 1.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| PWCS turnaround time (days) | 4.1 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 2.5 |
| Newcastle ship queue (vessels) | 17.0 | NO DATA | 9.0 | 22.7 | 10.9 |
| Source: PWCS, Newcastle Port | |||||
| * PWCS loadings is total YTD, all others are average per month YTD | |||||
