Updates production results in last paragraph.
Poland's JSW aims to increase coking coal production this year, despite recent accidents.
JSW hopes to reverse declining output to boost revenue and cut losses caused by falling met coal and coke prices. It made a 7.3bn zlotys ($1.9bn) loss last year, although this included a 6.4bn zlotys write-down in the value of its assets.
The firm expects to increase coking coal output every quarter to reach a full-year figure of 11mn t, up from 9.9mn t in 2024. It is still targeting 14mn t in 2026.
In 2024, 21pc of JSW met coke sales were to domestic buyers, 45pc of sales were for export to Europe, and 35pc of sales were for destinations outside Europe — mostly India, with smaller volumes for Algeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Despite underutilisation of its coke plants and a decline in seaborne shipments resulting from competition from emerging Indonesian supply, JSW said exports remain crucial for met coke production.
The company estimates Polish coke production capacity is at about 8.8mn t/yr, with utilisation running at about 85pc in 2024, while demand in Poland is just 2.7mn t/yr. "Poland needs to export about 6mn t/yr of coke for its production to survive," JSW said.
The firm said it is underutilising coke capacity to match ordered volumes, and that it is not producing to boost stocks because it wants to safeguard liquidity.
Data obtained by Argus indicate that Polish ports exported 416,000t of met coke in the first quarter, with exports from Swinoujscie at 186,000t, Gdynia loading 165,000t and Gdansk loading 65,000t.
JSW said today its coking coal output dropped to 2.3mn t in the first quarter of 2025, down by 3pc on the year and by 14pc on the quarter. The firm's coke output reached 700,000t in January-March, stable on the quarter, but 15pc lower on the year.
