Despite public calls in many countries for reducing reliance on coal as a primary but high-carbon energy source, global demand continues to escalate. Coal has traditionally been seen as a low-cost and price-stable source of energy, but recently coal prices have increased and become much more volatile. Moreover, while coal is viewed as a very secure energy source, infrastructure bottlenecks and weather-related events can dramatically tighten the market.

This new annual IEA publication, Medium-Term Coal Market Report 2011, presents a comprehensive analysis of recent trends in coal demand, supply and trade, as well as an IEA outlook for coal market fundamentals for the coming five years.  The report places a special focus on trade and infrastructure development in the key exporting countries. Given the existing uncertainties on the production capacity of China to meet its challenging coal demand growth, the book presents two scenarios for coal trade: a high and a low Chinese production outlook. This comparison highlights the massive influence of Chinese behaviour on the international coal trade.

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
Recent Market Trends
-Summary
-Demand
--OECD demand trends
--Non-OECD demand trends
-Supply
--OECD supply trends
--Non-OECD supply trends
-References
Medium-Term Projections of Demand and Supply
-Summary
-Introduction
-Assumptions and methodology
-Projection of global coal demand
--OECD coal demand in power generation
--OECD coal demand in non�]power sectors
--Non-OECD coal demand in power generation
--Non-OECD coal demand in non�]power sectors
--Regional focus: China
-Projection of global coal supply
--OECD coal supply
--Non-OECD coal supply
Recent Developments in International Trade
-Summary
-Seaborne hard coal market 2009-2010
-Price developments
-Cost developments
-Regional analysis
-Exporters
-Importers
-References
Medium-Term Projections of Seaborne Trade
-Summary
-Assumptions and methodology
-Scenario design
-Projections of seaborne hard coal trade
-Projections of seaborne thermal coal trade
-LPS
-HPS
-Projections of seaborne metallurgical coal trade
-LPS
-HPS
-References
Utilisation of Export Capacity and Investments
-Summary of export capacity in 2009-2010
-Utilisation of export mine capacity
-Utilisation of domestic transport infrastructure
-Utilisation of port capacity
-Export capacity investments 2011-2016
-Port and domestic transport capacity investments
-Export mine capacity investments
-References
Medium-Term Projections of Export Capacity Utilisation
-Summary
-Assumptions and methodology
-Projected utilisation of export capacity
-Regional analysis
--Australia
--South Africa
-Colombia
-Russia
-Indonesia
-United States
Tables
Table 1. Major hard coal and brown coal consumers among OECD countries 
Table 2. Major hard coal and brown coal producers among OECD countries
Table 3. Projection of coal demand until 2016
Table 4. Coal demand projections for China
Table 5. Breakdown of important input factors for coal mining in Australia
Table 6. Coal demand, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 7. Coal production, 2009-2016, LPS, in Mtce
Table 8. Coal production, 2009-2016, HPS, in Mtce
Table 9. Hard coal net imports, 2009-2016, LPS, in Mtce
Table 10. Hard coal net imports, 2009-2016, HPS, in Mtce
Table 11. Seaborne steam coal imports, LPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 12. Seaborne steam coal imports, HPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 13. Seaborne steam coal exports, LPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 14. Seaborne steam coal exports, HPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 15. Seaborne metallurgical coal imports, LPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 16. Seaborne metallurgical coal imports, HPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 17. Seaborne metallurgical coal exports, LPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 18. Seaborne metallurgical coal exports, HPS, 2009-2016, in Mtce
Table 19. Indicative net calorific values of internationally traded steam coal in kcal/kg