Coal news and updates

Coal imports via Krishnapatnam may touch 30 mt this fisc

September 10: Coal imports through Krishnapatnam Port may touch 30 million tons (mt) for 2014-15 if everything goes as per plan, an official from the port told ICMW.

“In the last financial year (2013-14), we imported around 20 mt of coal. This year (2014-15) we expect our coal imports to touch 25-26 mt and we can even reach 30 mt if everything goes as per plan. So there could be an increase of 50% of coal imports on a year-on year basis,” he said.

In August 2014, coal imports through Krishnapatnam stood at around 2.8 mt.

The official added that at least 8-9 new power plants are going to come up in the port’s hinterland, comprising Telangana and some parts of Andhra Pradesh, in the near future. All of them are going to use imported coal, mainly from Indonesia.

“So the import of coal is in increasing mode,” he said, “A separated state of Telangana has boosted the operations of Krishnapatnam as more power, cement and steel plants are going to come up and all of them are expected to use imported coal since domestic coal is not enough to meet their prospective requirements.”