International Steam Coal Market and the Price Situation in Poland – Part II

Abstract

The purpose of the paper was to analyse steam coal prices of Polish producers with reference to the main spot price indices of steam coal from international markets. The research covered the years 2010–2019. Due to the complexity of the discussed issues, the article is divided into two parts. The second part focuses on the analysis of steam coal prices on the European and Polish markets. Analysis of the price indices of the main exporters of steam coal to the European market showed that the prices on international spot markets are closely linked. An investigation into the dependence of prices of the main exporters of steam coal to the European market (Russia, Colombia, the US, and South Africa) on the CIF ARA Mix index confirmed this phenomenon. The calculated coefficient of determination varied between 0.922–0.998. The comparison of the volatility of the average monthly prices of the two Polish steam coal market indices (PSCMI) with the spot indices of CIF ARA Mix and FOB Russia Mix showed that the trends on the international spot market are different from those on the Polish market. This coincidence only occurred when comparing annual average prices, and only when the prices of PSCMI were shifted backwards by one year. This shift backwards is due to the way in which Polish producers have contracts with their customers. Poland is dominated by long-term contracts with prices set once a year. Having shifted the annual averages of both PSCMIs backwards by one year, the differences between the indices decreased to about 1PLN/GJ (previously they had reached 3PLN/GJ). The calculated coefficient of determination for both PSCMIs and CIF ARA Mix for 2010–2018 equalled: R2=0,88 (PSCMI_1/Q) and R2=0,89 (PSCMI_2/Q).