Cement firms in UAE turn to coal for want of gas

DUBAI/LONDON: Cement makers in the United Arab Emirates are turning to imported coal to fire their furnaces as gas is scarce and the petrodollar-fuelled building boom shows no signs of letting up.
That is likely to drive world coal prices higher still, producers and traders say.

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While the UAE has bought only small amounts of coal during the past five years, cement makers in the emirates of Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah are now asking for more.

Demand for South African coal for loading between July and December this year is unlikely to be more than a few hundred thousand tonnes at most, producers and traders said.

Gulf Times