{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1697499,
        "msgid": "coal-prices-surge-for-three-days-europe-on-edge-1777006320",
        "date": "2026-04-24 07:30:14",
        "title": "Coal Prices Surge for Three Days, Europe on Edge",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Energy",
        "summary": "Coal prices have risen sharply, closing at US$129.1 per tonne on 24 April 2026, up 7.3% over three days, driven by climbing oil prices, reduced supply in China due to logistical disruptions, and anticipation of an El Ni\u00f1o event that could strain hydroelectric power and boost coal demand. In Europe, surging energy prices amid the Iran war could escalate into a full supply crisis if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for a year, disrupting 20% of global LNG flows and forcing competition for limited gas cargoes from Asia. This volatility underscores the interconnected risks in global energy markets, potentially exacerbating Europe's low gas storage levels and echoing the 2022 energy crisis.",
        "content": "<p>Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Coal prices are heating up further.\nAccording to Refinitiv, the May coal contract price closed at US$129.1\nper tonne on trading Thursday (24\/4\/2026), surging 1.06%. This increase\nextends its positive trend, strengthening 7.3% over the last three days.\nThe coal price surge follows oil prices, as both are energy commodities\nthat influence each other. Brent oil prices have once again broken\nthrough US$105. The price spike is also triggered by reduced supply.\nCoal supply via rail to Caofeidian port dropped sharply in a single day.\nThis condition is caused by rail logistics disruptions from mines to\nports, as well as weather factors or shipping schedules. Caofeidian is\none of the main shipping hubs for northern China coal, so this data is\noften used by traders to gauge the thermal coal market conditions in\nChina. At Huanghua Port, another major shipping hub for coal in northern\nChina, it received 610,000 tonnes of coal via rail lines in the 24 hours\nuntil the morning of 22 April 2026. Huanghua is a strategic port for\ndistributing thermal coal from mining areas such as Inner Mongolia and\nShanxi to China\u2019s eastern coastal regions. Therefore, arrival data is\noften used by traders to read the direction of the thermal coal market\nin China. This data indicates that the flow of coal supply to China\u2019s\nmajor ports is beginning to slow, which could signal a wait-and-see\nmarket ahead of the summer season and the next utility restocking phase.\nChina has also warned that a moderate to strong El Ni\u00f1o is expected to\nemerge starting in May 2026 and continue until the end of the year. Its\nmain impact could be significant for the national electricity sector,\nespecially since China heavily relies on a combination of hydropower\nplants (PLTA), coal, solar power, and inter-regional transmission\nnetworks. El Ni\u00f1o could disrupt the East Asian monsoon, with\nsouthern\/southwestern China at risk of major flooding while other\nregions face drought risks. Both are equally bad for hydroelectric\ngeneration: too little water can reduce electricity production, while\nflooding forces dams to reduce output or temporary shutdowns. This is\ncrucial because provinces like Sichuan and Yunnan heavily depend on\nhydropower. China experienced an electricity crisis in 2022 when a\nheatwave and drought hit Sichuan. If hydropower declines and demand\nrises, China may need to increase coal-fired generation and imports.\nEurope Faces Gas Supply Crisis if Strait of Hormuz Closes for One Year\nAccording to a Montel report, the current energy price surge in Europe\ndue to the Iran war could turn into a real supply crisis if the Strait\nof Hormuz remains closed for the next year. This gas price surge could\nhave a positive impact on coal prices as they are also lifted.\nCurrently, Europe is still in the price shock phase, meaning gas is\nstill available but very expensive. However, if the closure continues\nfor a long time, the problem changes to not just high prices, but\nwhether physical gas is still available for Europe or not. The Strait of\nHormuz is a vital route for global energy exports. Around 20% of the\nworld\u2019s LNG usually passes through that area, including gas from Qatar,\nwhich has been an important supplier to the European Union. Europe\u2019s gas\nreserves are low because after a harsh winter, European gas storage is\nonly about 31% full, the lowest level for this period since 2022. If\nMiddle Eastern LNG is disrupted, European buyers will have to compete\nfor cargoes with Asian countries. Over the past few weeks, Europe has\nstill been able to hold on through storage and imports from Norway and\nthe United States. But if Hormuz is truly closed for a full year, the\nEuropean gas market could enter a real supply crisis phase, similar to\nor worse than the 2022 energy crisis.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/coal-prices-surge-for-three-days-europe-on-edge-1777006320",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}