Coal trade up nearly 10% on Great Lakes

Coal trade up nearly 10% on Great Lakes    Continued strong demand in September from the power-generating industry caused shipments of Great Lakes coal to exceed levels attained for that month in 2004 — at all but one port, Thunder Bay, Ontario.
   September coal shipments totaled 4.5 million net tons, an increase of 9.8 percent compared to a year ago.
   The coal trade also outperformed the five-year average for September by 3.2 percent, according to figures released by the Lake Carriers' Association.
   In the first nine months of 2005, the Great Lakes coal trade has increased 9.4 percent to 30.9 million net tons. Weighed against the five-year average for the first three quarters, coal shipments are up 6.7 percent, the association said in a statement.
   The Lake Carriers' Association, based in Cleveland, represents 12 American companies that operate 55 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes. Collectively, these ships carry as much as 125 million tons of cargo a year: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, limestone and cement for the construction industry, and coal for generating electrical power.