Russia Remains a Major Coal Supplier to Europe Amid Sanctions
Russia continues to supply coal to Europe even as sanctions tighten, and by the end of 2022 the Russian Federation emerged as Germany’s top coal supplier. This trend was noted by markets and energy observers, reflecting how traditional energy ties persisted despite policy pressure.
Despite EU restrictions, Russia increased tax revenues from coal to 360 billion rubles in 2022 as exports remained robust and shipments to European buyers persisted. Germany, in particular, imported roughly 13 million tons of Russian coal last year. Although this level represented a 37 percent drop from the 2021 figure, Russia still held the position of the leading coal supplier to Germany. Market data highlights the ongoing role of Russian coal in European energy supply during a period of sanctions and supply rebalancing.
Overall, Germany imported 44.4 million tons of coal in 2022, down about 8 percent from 2021. The United States rose to second place in Europe’s coal imports, with exports increasing by about 32 percent. Australia followed, delivering 6.3 million tons to Germany, reinforcing the mixed pattern of global coal flows amid the sanctions regime and supply chain shifts.
In parallel, Russia sent 20.1 million tons of coal to India in 2022, a substantial rise over the 6.6 million tons in the previous year. Deliveries to China also rose, reaching 67.3 million tons, up from the prior period and reflecting strong demand from major consuming markets in Asia.
During a forthcoming briefing, Russian energy officials reported a notable expansion in cash receipts from the coal sector for 2022, with the sector’s revenue doubling compared with 2021, reaching about 360 billion rubles. This marked a sixfold increase relative to 2020, illustrating how the coal industry adapted to regulatory changes while maintaining revenue growth in a volatile global energy market. These figures emerged in the context of official presentations on energy policy and priority project implementation within Russia’s energy sector, as reported by Kommersant and energy ministry communications, and were cited by market analysts tracking global coal trade dynamics.