It made a net profit of $32.3 million in the corresponding period a year earlier. The company said the soaring prices would only be felt in the second half because it sold on long-term contracts.
"They [prices] haven't doubled for us,'' chief operating office Barry Bragg said.
The company said the outlook was positive and it expected the benchmark price for internationally traded coal to rise 80% to record levels over the next few months.
Benchmark international prices are set next month when Australian companies settle prices with Japanese buyers.
Coal prices have skyrocketed along with other commodities as oil prices have soared and China has increased the amount it burns per year to 2.4 billion tonnes.
The company blamed production problems at its main export mine in Stockton on the West Coast for its loss. It said it faced ongoing difficulties that carried over from the previous year.
A major obstacle had been protest action and environmental work to collect and relocate native land snails at its Stockton opencast mine. Then bad weather in October affected production.
However, Mr Bragg said the company was on track to produce a million tonnes of coal against 800,000 last year. Production in the first two months of the half has been on target.
Solid Energy said demand from Genesis Energy fell away and the slippage of an export shipment into the second half were also to blame.
