Egypt imported 6.32 million mt of thermal coal in 2019, up 31% on the previous year, according to official data from the Port of Alexandria, boosted by strong demand from the cement sector. Officials at the port confirmed that most of the coal loadings were of US origin. Egypt’s thermal coal imports experienced two consistently healthy years of growth with imports rising gradually in 2019 and spiking enormously by 174% in 2018 to total 4.81 million mt, from 1.75 million mt in 2017. Egypt’s largest cement producer El Arish Cement remained the country’s largest importer of thermal coal, taking 2.04 million mt or 32% of total coal imports in 2019, up from 28% of total thermal coal imported in 2018. This plant alone represents around 17% of Egypt’s national capacity. The dramatic increase in thermal […]