Russian export of coal rises in March

According to the statistical data, Russian export of coal rose 13 percent year on year in March and 25.9 percent in the first quarter of 2006. The volumes of coal export follows the upward trend since couple of months, just to remind the export of coal increased 18 percent year on year in February 2006, as well as the domestic consumption. Looking into the domestic consumption groups, the energy sector of the economy's level of coal consumption is at stable level due to switch to coal-base energy supplies by some enterprises and cold weather conditions at the end of winter and the first month of spring. However, although Russian coal sector shows rise of 5.6 percent in mining in the first quarter of 2006, the rate of consumption, both domestic and foreign, is rising at more rapid rate. Accordingly already now the tendency under which the rate of consumption increases faster than the mining volumes is visible.