The UK's consumption of thermal coal rose 8.5% on the month to 3.76 million mt in September, the highest for three months, according to data released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change Thursday.
However the UK's rate of thermal coal burn rate is still lower than 2012's five-year high of 54.82 million mt.
In the first nine months of 2013, the country's thermal coal burn averaged 4.15 million mt/month or an annualized rate of 49.78 million mt, down from 4.34 million mt/month, or 52.15 million mt/year in the same 2012 period.
Healthy profit margins from coal-fired generation -- even after the cost of carbon emission allowances has been factored in -- have supported the country's use of thermal coal with Platts assessing the front-quarter Q1-14 UK clean dark spread at Eur38.79/MWh ($52.59/MWh) at Wednesday's close, just below its year-to-date high of Eur39.53/MWh set earlier in November.
Thermal coal stocks at UK power generators increased for a sixth successive month to reach 12.38 million mt at the end of September, up 8.5% on the year and the highest since January 2012.
Total coal imports into the UK -- including metallurgical coal -- fell 5.9% on-month to 3.9 million mt in September.
The UK imported 36.9 million mt of coal in the first nine months of 2013, up from 33.29 million mt a year earlier.
