Skip to main content

SunCoke Energy Inc

For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Feb 22, 2024.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.

FY2023 · Filed Feb 22, 2024

SXC$10.21+4.2%Stored close · as of Nov 9, 2026

Extracted filing text, with the paragraph anchors used by the comparison.

See the whole filing, with its images and exhibits
Contents

Table of Contents

SUNCOKE ENERGY, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I
Item 1.Business1
Item 1A.Risk Factors15
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments27
Item 1C.Cybersecurity27
Item 2.Properties28
Item 3.Legal Proceedings29
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures29
PART II
Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholders Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities30
Item 6.[Reserved]31
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations32
Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk41
Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data42
Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure75
Item 9A.Controls and Procedures75
Item 9B.Other Information75
Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections75
PART III
Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance76
Item 11.Executive Compensation76
Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters76
Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence76
Item 14.Principal Accountant Fees and Services76
PART IV
Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules77
Signatures82

i

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We have made forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including, among others, in the sections entitled “Business,” “Risk Factors,” “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “should” or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs, expectations and assumptions based upon information currently available, and include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, financing plans, competitive position, potential growth opportunities (including, among other things, anticipated expansion into the foundry coke market), the influence of competition, and the effects of future legislation or regulations. In addition, statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K concerning future dividend declarations are subject to approval by our Board of Directors and will be based upon circumstances then existing. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based upon the current knowledge, beliefs and expectations of SunCoke management, and upon assumptions by SunCoke concerning future conditions, any or all of which ultimately may prove to be inaccurate.

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We do not have any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statement (or its associated cautionary language), whether as a result of new information or future events, after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as required by applicable law.

The risk factors discussed in “Risk Factors” could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. There also may be other risks that are currently unknown to us or that we are unable to predict at this time. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation:

actual or potential impacts of international conflicts and humanitarian crises on global commodity prices, inflationary pressures, and state sponsored cyber activity;

the effect of inflation on wages and operating expenses;

volatility and cyclical downturns in the steel industry and in other industries in which our customers and/or suppliers operate;

changes in the marketplace that may affect our cokemaking business, including the supply and demand for our coke products, as well as increased imports of coke from foreign producers;

volatility, cyclical downturns and other change in the business climate and market for coal, affecting customers or potential customers for our logistics business;

changes in the marketplace that may affect our logistics business, including the supply and demand for thermal and metallurgical coal;

severe financial hardship or bankruptcy of one or more of our major customers, or the occurrence of a customer default or other event affecting our ability to collect payments from our customers;

our ability to repair aging coke ovens to maintain operational performance;

age of, and changes in the reliability, efficiency and capacity of the various equipment and operating facilities used in our cokemaking operations, and in the operations of our subsidiaries major customers, business partners and/or suppliers;

changes in the expected operating levels of our assets;

changes in the level of capital expenditures or operating expenses, including any changes in the level of environmental capital, operating or remediation expenditures;

changes in levels of production, production capacity, pricing and/or margins for coal and coke;

changes in product specifications for the coke that we produce or the coals we mix, store and transport;

our ability to meet minimum volume requirements, coal-to-coke yield standards and coke quality standards in our coke sales agreements;

variation in availability, quality and supply of metallurgical coal used in the cokemaking process, including as a result of non-performance by our suppliers;

ii

effects of geologic conditions, weather, natural disasters and other inherent risks beyond our control;

effects of adverse events relating to the operation of our facilities and to the transportation and storage of hazardous materials or regulated media (including equipment malfunction, explosions, fires, spills, impoundment failure and the effects of severe weather conditions);

the existence of hazardous substances or other environmental contamination on property owned or used by us;

required permits and other regulatory approvals and compliance with contractual obligations and/or bonding requirements in connection with our cokemaking, logistics operations, and/or former coal mining activities;

the availability of future permits authorizing the disposition of certain mining waste and the management of reclamation areas;

risks related to environmental compliance;

our ability to comply with applicable federal, state or local laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those relating to environmental matters;

risks related to labor relations and workplace safety;

availability of skilled employees for our cokemaking, and/or logistics operations, and other workplace factors;

our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness;

our indebtedness and certain covenants in our debt documents;

our ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions imposed by our financing arrangements;

changes in the availability and cost of equity and debt financing;

impacts on our liquidity and ability to raise capital as a result of changes in the credit ratings assigned to our indebtedness;

competition from alternative steelmaking and other technologies that have the potential to reduce or eliminate the use of coke;

our dependence on, relationships with, and other conditions affecting our customers and/or suppliers;

consolidation of major customers;

nonperformance or force majeure by, or disputes with, or changes in contract terms with, major customers, suppliers, dealers, distributors or other business partners;

effects of adverse events relating to the business or commercial operations of our customers and/or suppliers;

changes in credit terms required by our suppliers;

our ability to secure new coal supply agreements or to renew existing coal supply agreements;

effects of railroad, barge, truck and other transportation performance and costs, including any transportation disruptions;

our ability to enter into new, or renew existing, long-term agreements upon favorable terms for the sale of coke, steam, or electric power, or for handling services of coal and other aggregates (including transportation, storage and mixing);

our ability to enter into new, or renew existing, agreements upon favorable terms for logistics services;

our ability to successfully implement domestic and/or international growth strategies;

our ability to identify acquisitions, execute them under favorable terms, and integrate them into our existing business operations;

our ability to realize expected benefits from investments and acquisitions;

our ability to enter into joint ventures and other similar arrangements under favorable terms;

our ability to consummate assets sales, other divestitures and strategic restructuring in a timely manner upon favorable terms, and/or realize the anticipated benefits from such actions;

iii

our ability to consummate investments under favorable terms, including with respect to existing cokemaking facilities, which may utilize by-product technology, and integrate them into our existing businesses and have them perform at anticipated levels;

our ability to develop, design, permit, construct, start up, or operate new cokemaking facilities in the U.S. or in foreign countries;

disruption in our information technology infrastructure and/or loss of our ability to securely store, maintain, or transmit data due to security breach by hackers, employee error or malfeasance, terrorist attack, power loss, telecommunications failure or other events;

the accuracy of our estimates of reclamation and other environmental obligations;

risks related to obligations under mineral leases retained by us in connection with the divestment of our legacy coal mining business;

risks related to the ability of the assignee(s) to perform in compliance with applicable requirements under mineral leases assigned in connection with the divestment of our legacy coal mining business;

proposed or final changes in existing, or new, statutes, regulations, rules, governmental policies and taxes, or their interpretations, including those relating to environmental matters and taxes;

proposed or final changes in accounting and/or tax methodologies, laws, regulations, rules, or policies, or their interpretations, including those affecting inventories, leases, post-employment benefits, income, or other matters;

changes in federal, state, or local tax laws or regulations, including the interpretations thereof;

claims of noncompliance with any statutory or regulatory requirements;

changes in insurance markets impacting cost, level and/or types of coverage available, and the financial ability of our insurers to meet their obligations;

inadequate protection of our intellectual property rights;

volatility in foreign currency exchange rates affecting the markets and geographic regions in which we conduct business; and

historical consolidated financial data may not be reliable indicators of future results.

The factors identified above are believed to be important factors, but not necessarily all of the important factors, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made by us. Other factors not discussed herein also could have material adverse effects on us. All forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements.

In addition, our discussion of certain environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) assessments and related issues in this or other disclosures, including on our corporate website, is informed by various ESG standards and frameworks (including standards for the measurement of underlying data) and the interests of various stakeholders. As such, such information may not be, and should not be interpreted as necessarily being, “material” under the federal securities laws for Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reporting purposes. Furthermore, much of this information is subject to assumptions, methodologies, or third-party information that is still evolving and subject to repeated change. Our disclosures may change as a result of changes in frameworks, availability or quality of information, changes in business or government policy, or other factors, which may be out of our control.

iv

ContentsView on SEC.gov

The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.