TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – NYSE-listed Peabody Energy has made its first coal shipment to the new 30-million-ton-a-year export terminal in Newcastle, Australia, the firm announced on Monday.

The Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) port is expected to start exports in April, Peabody said.

"NCIG is perfectly timed to increase throughput as Australia continues to set export records," COO Eric Ford.

"These volumes are vital for consumers in Pacific Rim nations that have growing needs for quality coal. Asian nations are forecast to account for more than 90% of global coal demand growth in the next two decades."

The coal was delivered from Peabody's Wilpinjong surface mine in New South Wales.

Peabody is investing heavily in increasing Australian coal output, and plans to nearly double export volumes by 2014, to take advantage of Asian demand.

The company owns the NCIG terminal with fellow producers BHP Billiton, Centennial Coal, Donaldson Coal, Felix Resources and Whitehaven Coal.

The terminal will ultimately ramp up to a throughput of 66-million tons a year, the firm said.

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