【Pakistan’s Imported Coal-Fired Generation Jumps 90% in July to a Record High for the Month】

Price Adjustment for Construction Steel in the 8-3rd Period (2026): Rebar and wire rod remain unchanged; current rebar at 3,300 yuan/mt, plain wire rod at 3,550 yuan/mt, and coiled rebar at 3,550 yuan/mt; compensation for the 8-2nd period: rebar 110 yuan/mt and wire rod 145 yuan/mt; monthly discount rate for electronic bank acceptance in this period: first and second-tier banks 0.47‰, provincial city commercial banks 0.57‰, and third and fourth-tier banks 0.77‰. [SMM Steel]

Canadian mining company Strategic Metals released a scoping study and Preliminary Economic Assessment for its Division Mountain project on 20 August. The project contains a measured resource of 52.5 Mt of High Volatile “B” Bituminous coal and envisages an open-pit mine producing 0.5 Mt/y of clean coal, together with either one 100 MW or two 50 MW coal-fired power plants serving Yukon’s isolated power grid. At the proposed production rate, the measured resource could supply a 100 MW plant for approximately 105 years, although the preliminary mine and power plant designs are based on a 30-year operating life. The project has an estimated total capital cost of $978.6 million, while clean coal could be produced and delivered at an average cost of $52/t. Under the base case, an electricity sales price of approximately $194/MWh would be required to generate an after-tax IRR of around 8% at an 8% discount rate. With full carbon taxes, the required sales price would rise to $292/MWh. The project remains at a preliminary assessment stage, with no construction permits, financing arrangements, power purchase agreement or commissioning schedule disclosed.

Global seaborne coal flows increased by 1% year on year to 116.5 Mt in July 2026, although trends diverged sharply between coal types. Thermal coal flows fell by 2.3% to 87.3 Mt, mainly due to weaker demand in Europe and the United States. Meanwhile, combined thermal coal flows to the four major Asian importing markets—China, India, Japan and South Korea—rose by 18.3%, indicating strong summer power demand across Asia. Global seaborne metallurgical coal flows increased by 11.8% to 27.2 Mt during the same period. Imports into China and Japan rose by 30% and 24%, respectively, offsetting an 18% decline in India.