Aside from coal sales up 18%, biodiesel sales were up 73%, while wood pellet sales were up 262%, despite some disruption to work in the aftermath of the February earthquake, which damaged some rail and port operations in Christchurch.
Solid Energy chief executive Dr Don Elder said coal export prices were at present around $US300 per tonne ($NZ371) and continuing to trend upwards, quarter by quarter, on the back of increasing demand from India and China.
"Demand for coal in New Zealand markets remains stable and our wood pellet business continues to make strong progress towards sustainable long-term profitability," Dr Elder said in a statement yesterday.
Solid Energy was making "good progress" in its new development projects of lignite conversion and coal seam gas and underground coal gasification uses, he said.
Solid Energy has lodged applications to build an up-to-$25 million demonstration briquetting plant at Mataura in Southland; to convert low-grade raw lignite into low moisture high energy briquettes.
The potential use of millions of tonnes of lignite has enraged conservationists and both they and Solid Energy are awaiting an imminent decision by Environment Southland and the Gore District Council on whether the consent applications will be publicly notified.
Dr Elder said the timing of the demonstration plant completion and commissioning was dependent on the length of the resource consenting process. Earlier estimates were it could possibly be operational by early 2012.
Solid Energy's coal seam gas and underground coal gasification projects are near Huntly in Waikato. The former is due to deliver electricity to the national grid by late 2011, while a gasification pilot plant will be ignited for an 18-month trial by mid 2011.
Solid Energy has shown some interest in the premium hard-coking coal mine Pike River Coal, which has been closed since November ,when 29 workers lost their lives in a series of underground explosions.
Pike River's receivers are expected to update the market on Thursday with expressions of interest in the Pike mine.
