In the first five months of this year, Azerbaijan witnessed a 19.5 percent decrease in petroleum coke exports, totaling 101.6 thousand tons, Azernews reports citing the State Customs Committee.

Data from the State Customs Committee reveals that the exported product's value amounted to $8,621.5 thousand.

Comparatively, during the same period in 2023, Azerbaijan exported 126.2 thousand tons of petroleum coke, valued at $39,904.3 thousand.

It's worth highlighting that petroleum coke, commonly referred to as petcoke, is a solid carbon-rich substance generated during the refining of crude oil. It emerges as a byproduct when heavy crude oil undergoes the refining process to yield gasoline, diesel fuel, and other refined products.

Refinement entails subjecting crude oil to high temperatures, a process during which certain carbon and impurities remain as solid residues. These residues are further processed to yield petcoke.

With its elevated carbon content and minimal ash content, petcoke finds utility as a fuel in diverse industrial contexts such as power generation, cement manufacturing, and metal refining.

Moreover, petcoke serves as a crucial raw material in the production of graphite electrodes. These electrodes are instrumental in electric arc furnaces utilized for steelmaking processes.