Steelmaking coal

EVR is one of the world's largest seaborne exporters of steelmaking coal, also known as metallurgical coal or coking coal.

Steel has an important role in society today.

From everyday household appliances to critical infrastructure such as rail, bridges, hospitals and schools, steelmaking coal is an essential input for most steel, which can be used in products to improve the quality of life for people around the world.

Global population growth, increased urbanization, and a growing middle class are expected to drive long-term demand for steel and the steelmaking coal required to produce it. EVR can help meet these evolving needs while supporting responsible resource development, environmental stewardship, and the economic and social well-being of communities in the Elk Valley.

Coal is a naturally occurring rock, formed over millions of years as plants and other organic materials are buried and subjected to geological forces. Heat and pressure cause physical and chemical changes that result in carbon-rich coal.

Approximately 70% of the world's steel is produced using the blast furnace-basic oxygen method.

To make steel using this method, steelmaking coal is first brought to a high temperature (around 1,100 degrees Celcius) in an oxygen-less oven that drives off its impurities and produces coke, a pure form of carbon.

Then, individual layers of coke, iron ore, and limestone are added to a blast furnace to make hot metal that is finally refined into steel.

Production efficiency in the blast furnace process is highly dependent upon the quality of raw materials used. A blast furnace fed with high quality coke will require less coke, lowering production costs and resulting in a higher quality hot metal. 

Note: Certain statistical and other information included on this page is sourced from publicly available third-party sources. This information has not been independently verified.