[Ferro-Alloys.com] SSAB Americas said Tuesday it plans to produce steel in North America using a completely fossil-free process beginning in 2026, and expects its Montpelier, Iowa, mill to be completely powered by renewable energy by 2022.

India's Ministry of Mines has approved a plan by state-run National Mineral Development Corp. to boost iron production from the Kumaraswamy mines in Karnataka by 42.8% to 10 million mt/year, the state-run miner said late Wednesday, giving a boost to its domestic production.

Moody's Investors Service said last Friday it retained a negative outlook on US thermal coal markets in 2020 based on stiffer competition in the generation stack from natural gas and renewables, in addition to low export expectations given the US' role as a swing producer.

China's crude steel output is expected to reach 980 million tonnes in 2019, an annual increase of 7 percent, said He Wenbo, Party chief of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, on Sunday.