Coal news and updates

Coal imports via Mumbai may be at lower ebb till mid-Sept

August 26: Coal imports through the port of Mumbai are likely to remain at low levels till mid-September due to the monsoon and slightly lower demand from Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO), a senior official of the port told ICMW.

“In May, we had handled the highest quantity of imported coal which stood at around 0.5 million ton (mt). Due to the monsoons, there is a little turbulence in the anchorage so, in August, coal imports will be low. This situation will continue to remain so till the middle of the coming month (September),” the official added.

Additionally, a slight slump in demand from MAHAGENCO in July and August pulled down coal import volumes through the port a little, he added.

“Demand for imported coal through Mumbai Port at the beginning of the current fiscal increased mainly because of good demand from the Bhusawal and Nasik plants of MAHAGENCO.

MAHAGENCO imports through another supplier and the contract was extended till June. So in May and June there was basically a contract spill-over coal cargo. In mid-July, it (MAHAGENCO) did not have much coal in its account. However, it will soon place a new contract and that should lead to an increase in imported coal volumes through the port, the official said.     

He said there has been satisfying increase coal traffic at the port so far in the year. In the first four months (April-July) of 2014-15, coal handling at the port increased nearly 17% to 1.52 mt against a volume of 1.30 mt handled in the same period of 2013-14.

In July, the total cargo handling by the port stood at around 0.47 mt. On a cumulative basis, Mumbai Port handled around 19.27 mt cargo in the April-July period of 2014-15 against 17.74 mt cargo handled in the same period of 2013-14, the official added.