Coal mine accidents and coking plant maintenance underpin the strength of coal and coke prices.

Chempricehub, August 17 — On August 14, a gas accident occurred at a coal mine in Lianyuan, Hunan Province. Although the affected area is not a major coking coal production region and the actual supply impact is limited, market expectations of stricter safety supervision have intensified, driving coking coal prices higher on sentiment. Meanwhile, Jinding Steel's coal chemical coking division commenced maintenance on its CDQ (Coke Dry Quenching) furnace starting August 17, reducing top-charged coke output by 40%. This has led to a phased contraction in supply, further tightening supply-demand expectations.