Coal news and updates

CEA may cut power utilities FY16 coal import target

May 5: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which raised the coal import target for Indian power utilities by 22.34% for 2015-16, is “revisiting” the numbers in view of the fluctuations in international coal prices as well as an improvement in domestic production performance, a senior official from CEA told ICMW.

“We are revisiting the numbers for both the imported coal-based and indigenous coal-based plants, considering if these can be reduced,” the official said.

The coal import target for utilities has been increased to 115 million tons (mt) for 2015-16 from 94 mt in 2014-15. Of the total 115 mt target, indigenous coal-based plants are to import 73 mt, and the balance 42 mt are to be imported by coal-based plants.

Incidentally, a senior official from NTPC Ltd recently indicated that the utility is planning to reduce its imports due to an increase in domestic supply.

“We are going to regulate coal imports this year based on assurance from Coal India Ltd (CIL) on increased production,” K K Sharma, Director (Operations), NTPC, said in Delhi last month.

In contrast, CEA later on increased the coal import target for NTPC’s power plants for 2015-16 by 32.53% to 22 mt from 16.60 mt in 2014-15.