Although it is a newer entrant in the coal market than some of its rivals, this year’s Coal House of the Year, Deutsche Bank, has played to its strengths at a time of shifting patterns in global markets, using its strong coal derivatives desk and physical capabilities to become a problem solver for coal producers, traders and consumers around the world.

Simon Grenfell, London-based global head of syndication and origination at Deutsche Bank, describes the bank’s coal business as a hybrid. “We’re