[SMM Coal Flash] China’s September Coal Output Falls 6.8% YoY to 385.13 Million Tonnes

The New South Wales (NSW) government plans to introduce legislation allowing MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant coal mine to raise its annual production limit from 12.5 million tonnes to 16.5 million tonnes through 2032, following a High Court ruling that invalidated its longer-term expansion approval. The proposed bill aims to protect 400 jobs by requiring MACH Energy to guarantee its current permanent workforce through 2032. It will also impose conditions to minimise Scope 3 emissions and restrict coal sales to countries that are signatories to the Paris Agreement. The legislation is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.

Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, disposed of 413.5 tonnes of scrap against 850 tonnes identified for disposal during October 2–16 under Special Campaign 6. Iron scrap disposal on October 14 generated INR 2.21 crore. The initiative supports resource recovery and scrap recycling, although no direct impact on steel market prices or supply was reported.

India’s Coal Ministry has proposed amendments allowing suspension of coal and lignite mining operations for violations of approved mining plans. The draft rules provide for a 15-day show-cause notice in cases of continued non-compliance and require annual board-level compliance declarations. Authorities may suspend mining operations fully or partially if the response is unsatisfactory. The proposed measures could have implications for the coal supply chain linked to the steel industry, although their direct impact on coking coal availability and steel production remains uncertain.