This year Italy will import 17 million mt of steam coal, up three percent from 2009, and 5.5 million mt of coking coal and pulverized coal injection (PCI), up 37 percent over last year, according to the figures disclosed by Andrea Clavarino, chairman of the Italian coal association Assocarboni, during the Coal Industry Advisory Board (CIAB) plenary meeting held in Paris on November 18 and 19.
Mr. Clavarino acts as a delegate of the Italian government to the CIAB board, the coal consultative body of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the energy watchdog of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
"In 2011, thanks to the full operations of the Enel Torrevaldaliga North plant, steam coal imports should reach a peak of 19 million mt (up from 17 million mt forecasted for 2010), and will reach 25-26 million mt in the next five years, as per our projections," he also said at the meeting, according to an Assocarboni release.