* Stocks climb at EMO Dry Bulk Terminal and OBA Bulk Amsterdam
* Low Rhine river levels impact barging from ARA ports
Four delivery terminals in Northwest Europe's Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp trading hub had combined coal stocks of around 5.74 million mt Tuesday, rising 3.1% week on week to a three-week high, according to data gathered from port sources.
A year-on-year comparison for the four terminals was not available, although combined stocks from the EMO Dry Bulk Terminal in Rotterdam, the OBA Bulk Amsterdam terminal and the OVET Dry Bulk Terminal in Vlissingen were at 5.16 million mt, 21.3% lower than stocks at those three terminals a year ago, but 3.8% higher than last week's nine-week lows.
Thermal coal market sources have noted that low Rhine river levels have been impacting the transport of coal via barges to power stations in south Germany from ports in the ARA area, which may be one reason for the rising stocks.
Rhine water levels were measured at below 80 cm in Kaub, southwest Germany, Monday.
According to port sources, coal stocks at the EMO Dry Bulk Terminal rose 100,000 mt from last week's six-week low to around 2.3 million mt Tuesday, This is 600,000 mt lower than the same week in 2014.
Port source said stocks at OBA Bulk Amsterdam's terminal also climbed 100,000 mt on the week to around 2.4 million mt, which was also 600,000 mt below levels seen at the terminal a year ago.
OVET Dry Bulk Terminal in Vlissingen had 460,000 mt of coal in stock Monday, slipping 10,000 mt from levels seen the previous week and losing 196,000 mt compared to the same week in 2014.
Coal stock levels at the European Bulk Services terminal in Rotterdam dropped 15,000 mt on the week at 585,000 mt Monday. No year-on-year comparative data was available for the EBS terminal.
European-delivered thermal coal spot prices have been on an uptrend for the past week, with prices rallying each day due to higher trades with a large utility buyer mostly on the buy-side.
Platts assessed the price of European-delivered CIF ARA thermal coal basis 6,000 kcal/kg NAR and for delivery within the next 15-60 days at $54.80/mt Monday, gaining $1.20 cents on the week.
