The Critical Impact of Coking Coal Pricing on Steel Industry Profitability
Used in the production of iron and steel, coking coal — also known as metallurgical coal — is a key raw material. It differs from thermal coal, which is primarily utilized for electricity generation. Coking coal has special characteristics that allow it to be heated at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, whereby it is transformed into a porous carbon-rich material briquetting which are integral for steelmaking. The creation of this material is enhanced by coking, a process that allows the properties of metallurgical coke to reach their full potential and serves as a reducing agent in the blast furnace where iron ore can be transformed into crude iron.
