UNSPSC 15101613: Raw coal

Raw coal is coal that contains dilution material e.g. tramp iron, timber, and strong rocks or increased ash content. It is coal that is typically washed before to produce a more marketable metallurgical or energy coal. It is a product that can be sold in the raw form to other parties that prefer an unwashed coal or other parties that have facilities to wash the coal themselves.

UNSPSC 15101613 Raw coal, a Commodity code, shows a significant mismatch between its nominal scope and the actual procurement activity appearing under it in recent state and local solicitations. The code's name suggests purchasing of raw coal as a fuel or feedstock commodity, but the recent opportunities tagged to this code involve gasoline and diesel fuel distribution and law enforcement equipment—neither aligned with raw coal procurement. State and local governments do procure coal for utility operations, district heating, and power generation, but the current opportunity set does not reflect that activity under this code.

The two most recent opportunities demonstrate the tagging problem clearly. Cobb County School District (Georgia) posted a solicitation in September 2026 for purchase and delivery of gasoline and diesel fuel to fueling infrastructure across multiple school sites—a liquid-fuel logistics contract unrelated to coal. Sourcewell, a State of Minnesota cooperative purchasing vehicle, released an RFP in May 2026 for law enforcement equipment serving thousands of public entities across the United States and Canada, including Washington counties (Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, Yakima), K-12 school districts, and tribal governments. Neither opportunity involves coal procurement. The mismatch suggests either tagging error in the state and local procurement systems or a shift in how this code is being applied. Practitioners pursuing raw coal supply contracts with state and local buyers should verify code alignment in specific RFPs rather than relying on this code's recent-opportunity signal.