The European Union’s top coal producer is scrambling to fill a potential deficit of the fuel ahead of winter.

The European ban that takes effect next month “is expected to tighten further the supply of high-quality thermal coal.

Chinese bureaucrats are proposing that senior leaders should authorize the resumption of coal purchases as tensions between Beijing and Canberra begin to ease.

A proposal championed by the White House to spend around $555 billion on climate and clean-energy measures have stalled.

Overall, China is at a very different point in its economic cycle to much of the rest of the world, writes Clyde Russell.

Coal output over the first six months of 2022 reached 2.19 billion tonnes, up 11% from the same period last year.

Officials are looking to boost fuel supplies to avoid a repeat of last year’s power disruptions -- particularly ahead of a key party congress.