Coal news and updates

Gulf Power saw its coal generation share rise to 20.6% in February, up from 17.5% in January, but down from 32.4% in the year-ago month, according to a state regulatory filing.

 

However, coal burn was at 79,999 st in February, which generated 134,550 MWh of power, down from 93,432 st in January, or 151,160 MWh, and 120,352 st, or 224,351 MWh, in the year-ago month, according to a filing published March 23 by the Florida Public Service Commission.

Natural gas' mix was at 78.1%, or 636,595 MWh, in February, down from 81.2% in January but up from 66.2% in the year-ago month.

 

In February, Gulf Power's average fuel cost for coal was $49.20/st, up from $48.84/st in January, but down from $67.12/st in the year-ago month.

 

Heat rate efficiency

Heat rate efficiency for coal was at 10,825 Btu/KWh in February, while gas was at 9,126 Btu/KWh, resulting in dispatch prices of roughly $27.80/MWh and $37.70/MWh, respectively. In January, coal's dispatch price was $30.50/MWh and gas' price was $24.40/MWh, while in the year-ago month, coal was at $34.30/MWh and gas at $23.60/MWh.

 

Gulf Power owns the Crist coal-fired power plant in Pensacola, Florida, as well as a 50% ownership of Mississippi Power's Daniel plant in Escatawpa, Mississippi, and a 25% stake in one generating unit at Georgia Power's Scherer plant in Juliette, Georgia. Gulf Power, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, serves about 474,000 customers in eight counties in northwest Florida.

 

Coal purchases fall on month

Excluding the Scherer plant, Gulf Power purchased 39,477 st of coal in February at an average price of $48.91/st, down from 71,681 st at $43.28/st in January, and 102,607 st at $64.53/st in the year-ago month.

 

The utility did not buy any coal for the Scherer plant in February, compared with $1.27 million worth of coal at an average cost of $2.71/MMBtu in January and $892,745, or $3.20/MMBtu, in the year-ago month.

 

At the end of February, Gulf Power's coal stockpile, excluding the Scherer plant, was at 220,979 st, or 14 days cover, compared with 261,501 st, or 16 days cover, after January, and 506,750 st, or 32 days cover, at the end of February 2020.

 

The Scherer plant had 59 days of supply at the end of February, down from 79 days at the end of January and 67 days at the end of the year-ago month.

 

Source : https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/coal