Metallurgical coal or coking coal[1] is a grade of coal that can be used to produce good-quality coke. Coke is an essential fuel and reactant in the blast furnace process for primary steelmaking.[2][3][4] The demand for metallurgical coal is highly coupled to the demand for steel. Primary steelmaking companies often have a division that produces coal for coking, to ensure a stable and low-cost supply.[5]
Metallurgical coal comes mainly from Canada, the United States, and Australia,[1] with Australia exporting 58% of seaborne trade, mostly going to China.[6] In the United States, the electric power sector used "93% of total U.S. coal consumption between 2007 and 2018"; only 7% of the total was metallurgical coal and coal for other uses such as heating.[7]