Coal Exports

By Madeleine Kersch

Edited by Hannah Hornberger

Coal is a combustible black sedimentary rock composed primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It forms from the remains of plants that were buried beneath the surface and subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years. Coal is predominantly used as an energy source, particularly for electricity generation and industrial processes. There are four main types of coal, classified based on their carbon content, energy value, and the amount of heat and pressure they have undergone during formation.

CSX Terminal at Bay Coal in Curtis Bay, Baltimore. (Maryland Department of the Environment)

Types of Coal

Bituminous coal, more commonly referred to as steam coal, has a slightly lower carbon content compared to other varieties but is still widely used for electricity generation and steel production. Steam coal is the most abundant type of coal found globally. Another influential variety of bituminous coal is metallurgical coal, or coking coal, which is primarily used in steelmaking. When heated in the absence of oxygen, it produces coke, a pure form of carbon essential for the blast furnace process in steel manufacturing.

Lignite is the third subset of coal handled within the Port of Baltimore. While lignite is listed among the commodities handled by the port, it plays a smaller role compared to steam and metallurgical coal. Lignite is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat content but is still burned in power plants and used in certain industrial processes that require heat. The Port of Baltimore is primarily known for exporting these three varieties of coal, which are used worldwide for electricity generation and steel production.

Manufacturers

According to the United States Department of Labor, approximately 557,954,000 short tons of coal were produced in the United States in 2023. As of 2023, the U.S. coal mining industry had a market size of $30.9 billion, with several major companies contributing significantly. The largest of these companies is Peabody Energy Corp, producing 104,251,000 short tons of coal and accounting for 18% of domestic production. The second-largest producer is Arch Resources Inc., which produced 75,291,000 short tons, representing approximately 13% of U.S. coal output.

Exports through the Port of Baltimore

Two full-service terminals receive, store, and load coal onto ocean-going vessels at the Port of Baltimore: the Curtis Bay Coal Piers, served by the CSX Railroad and CONSOL Energy, and the Baltimore Marine Terminal, served by both CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroads. One of the Port of Baltimore’s strategic advantages is its proximity to coal fields in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. Mines in this region produce both metallurgical and steam coal—the two primary types exported through the Port of Baltimore.

Steam coal, used mostly for electric power generation and industrial heating, is the dominant type of domestic coal export. Outgoing shipments averaged about 12 million short tons from 2019 to 2022 before surging to 19 million short tons in 2023. Exports of metallurgical coal from Baltimore, used primarily in steel production, are also significant, ranging from 6 to 10 million short tons between 2019 and 2023.

The top recipient of U.S. steam coal exported from the Port of Baltimore over the past five years has been India, where the brick manufacturing industry drives high demand. Smaller markets include the Dominican Republic, Canada, and Egypt. Exports of metallurgical coal have primarily gone to Asian countries. In 2023, Japan received 28% of metallurgical coal shipped through Baltimore, followed by China and South Korea. European countries such as the Netherlands, as well as Brazil and Argentina, also import metallurgical coal from Baltimore.

Coal and lignite exports through the Port of Baltimore play a critical role in supporting global energy production and industrial manufacturing. The port’s efficient rail connectivity, specialized terminals, and access to nearby coalfields make it one of the nation’s most important gateways for energy exports.