Experts urge govt to explore metallurgical coal potential

Experts have urged the government to develop a strategy to tap into the growing global demand for metallurgical coal, a key raw material used in steelmaking.

They believe generating suitable indigenous metallurgical coal resources may play an important role in scaling down dependence on imported raw materials, saving foreign exchange and bolstering up the local steel industry in the country.

Speaking to Business Recorder, Dr Sultan Ahmed Khoso, expert in mining and metallurgical engineering, said Pakistan has not undertaken sufficiently serious work on metallurgical coal because coal policy has historically focused more on energy than on coal as a strategic industrial raw material.

Scientifically, having large coal resources does not mean that they are suitable for metallurgical applications. Coking coal requires appropriate rank, ash, sulphur, phosphorus, volatile matter, fluidity, swelling and coke-making characteristics.

Pakistan therefore needs systematic exploration, detailed coal-quality characterisation, beneficiation, blending studies and pilot-scale coke testing. The economic opportunity is significant because local steel industry has historically depended on imported coking coal and metallurgical coke, creating foreign-exchange pressure and exposure to international price and supply disruptions, according to Dr Khoso.

“Financially, we should first establish proven, commercially recoverable resources and competitive mine-to-coke economics before committing major capital. The objective should be to identify domestic coal capable of replacing or blending with imported material, thereby saving foreign exchange and creating value-added industrial activity. Exports should be considered only after commercially viable quality and supply are scientifically established,” Dr Khoso said.

Speaking about usage of metallurgical coal, he said metallurgical coal is principally used as a raw material for iron and steel production.

“Coking coal is converted in coke ovens into metallurgical coke, which provides heat and acts as a reducing agent and structural support in blast furnaces for producing pig iron and subsequently steel. Therefore, its indirect applications extend to virtually all major steel products, including billets, slabs, blooms, rails, reinforcing bars, structural sections, plates, sheets, wire rod and engineering steels.”

Dr Khoso said other metallurgical coals are used in pulverised-coal injection (PCI) for blast furnaces.

“Metallurgical coke is also used in foundries for cast-iron production and in the manufacture of ferroalloys, carbides and certain other industrial products. Thus, the importance of metallurgical coal is not that it is incorporated directly into most finished goods; its strategic importance lies in enabling the production of iron, steel, coke and ferroalloys, which underpin construction, transport, machinery, engineering, energy infrastructure and manufacturing,” he said.

Speaking about conversion of indigenous coal into metallurgical coal, expert in coal testing and upgrading Dr Fida Hussain Channa said indigenous coal can be upgraded for metallurgical applications through coal beneficiation, blending and controlled carbonisation, but not every indigenous coal can be converted into high-quality metallurgical coal.

The first step is detailed characterisation of ash, sulphur, moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon, calorific value and coking properties. Suitable coal can then undergo crushing, size classification and density-based separation to remove ash-forming minerals and pyritic sulphur, according to Dr Channa.

“My research on Pakistani high-sulphur coal has demonstrated that appropriate beneficiation can substantially reduce ash and sulphur while increasing fixed carbon,” he said.

However, he continued, metallurgical coal must also possess suitable caking, swelling and plastic properties. Therefore, complementary indigenous coals may need to be blended before controlled carbonisation to produce suitable coke.

“Pakistan should establish systematic coal characterisation, beneficiation and blending programmes to maximise indigenous resources and reduce dependence on imported metallurgical coal.”

Highlighting importance of metallurgical coal, Dr Channa said metallurgical coal is strategically important because it is the principal carbonaceous raw material used to produce coke for conventional iron and steelmaking.

“During controlled carbonisation, suitable coal produces strong and porous coke, which provides carbon and physical support inside the blast furnace. Its quality directly influences furnace efficiency, productivity, energy consumption and the quality of the resulting iron and steel. For Pakistan, developing suitable indigenous metallurgical coal resources could reduce dependence on imported raw materials, conserve foreign exchange and strengthen the domestic steel industry. It can also create opportunities in coal beneficiation, mineral processing, laboratory testing and related industries.

“What’s more, development must be accompanied by strict control of sulphur, ash, emissions and mine safety. The objective should therefore be to produce properly characterised, beneficiated and technically suitable coal, rather than simply increasing coal production,” he said.