In Southern Africa, the coal business revived by the Strait of Hormuz crisis
Coal exports from Southern Africa have risen sharply in recent months, with South African and Mozambican shipments exceeding 60 million metric tonnes over the first eight months of the year, the highest level in ten years and a growth rate of 11%. Analysts attribute the increase to Indonesian export quotas and to the absence of LNG exports following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. In Tanzania, a new coal terminal is under construction and the company Sichuan Hongda has signed a three-billion-dollar agreement for a new coal mining project.
Why it matters: The reorientation of coal trade towards Southern Africa shows how energy security disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are feeding fossil-fuel investment and export growth in the region.