China’s Coal Crunch Isn’t Over Yet as Cold Weather Drives Demand

  • La Nina weather pattern to bring plunging temperatures
  • Coal imports stymied by Beijing’s price caps on domestic fuel
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Record coal production hasn’t ended China’s energy crisis, as the threat of extreme cold this winter could deplete supplies again soon.

A La Nina weather pattern will likely cause temperatures to plunge periodically through the winter, boosting demand to heat homes, according to Qinhuangdao Marine Coal Trading Market Co., a consultancy owned by the one of the country’s biggest coal ports.