Coal news and updates

India accounts for 50.84% of SA’s June coal exports

July 8: Indian companies purchased as much as 50.84% of the total coal exported through South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) during the month of June 2014, according to data made available to ICMW by one of the promoters of the terminal.

According to the data, a total of 2,500,020 tons of coal went to India from RBCT in June, down 20.79% compared to 3,156,284 tons in May 2014.
Imports in June 2014 were, however, 19.1% higher compared to 2,099,065 tons in June 2013.

For the first six months of 2014, total imports by Indian companies from South Africa stood at 12,861,437 tons, up nearly 14.74% from 11,209,226 tons imported during the corresponding period of 2013.

In fact, India’s coal imports from South declined marginally to 20.45 million tons (mt) in 2013-14 as compared to 21.16 mt in 2012-13, largely due to a sharp increase in international coal prices in the first quarter of 2013-14 and a sharp depreciation in the Indian currency that made exports highly expensive.

India’s coal imports from South Africa stood at 17.35 mt in 2011-12.

In May 2015, a total of 30 vessels sailed from RBCT for various ports of India as compared to 26 vessels in April 2014 and only 14 vessels in May 2014, according to data available with ICMW.

During June 2014, out of the 22 vessels, three vessels (467,044 tons) sailed for Krishnapatnam Port, two for Mormugao (167,514 tons) and two for Gangavaram (247,497 tons) amongst others.

However, of the total 30 vessels in May 2014, four (634,284 tons) had sailed for Dhamra Port on the eastern coal of India, five (728,408 tons) to Krishnapatnam, five vessels (375,430 tons) to New Mangalore, two each to Paradip (158,535 tons), Pipavav (109,377 tons) and Goa (167,706 tons).

Following are the details of India's monthly coal imports from RBCT in 2014 and 2013 (in tons):