Coal news and updates

Indian power utilities’ FY15 coal imports up 15%

April 10: Imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) during 2014-15 stood at 91.15 million tons (mt), up 14.81% from 79.39 mt recorded during 2013-14, according to provisional data compiled by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and available with ICMW.

During 2014-15, the domestic coal-based plants had brought in 41.16 mt of the fuel while imported coal-based plants had brought in 42.99 mt as compared to 39.55 mt and 39.84 mt brought in by domestic coal-based plants and imported coal-based plants, respectively in 2013-14.

In 2014-15, NTPC imported 15.491 mt coal, the highest among the domestic coal-based power plants, followed by TNEB (7.689 mt). Among the imported coal-based power plants, Adani Power’s Mundra TPS imported the highest amount of coal during 2014-15. In 2014-15 it imported 14.596 mt of coal followed by Mundra UMPP (10.388 mt).

Meanwhile, imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) in March 2015 rose 18.86% to 7.03 mt compared to 6.14 mt imported in February 2015.

However, imports in March 2015 were down almost 4% from 7.32 mt recorded in the same month of 2014.

Of the total imports in March this year, imports by domestic coal-based plants that are required to blend up to 15% of their total requirement with imported coal, stood at 3.68 mt, which was 82% of the target of 4.50 mt for the month.

These plants had imported 2.99 mt of coal in February 2015 and 3.04 mt in March 2014.

The imported coal-based plants, mainly located in the coastal areas, had brought in 3.63 mt of coal in March 2015, which was 109% of the target of 3.33 mt for the month.

These plants had brought in 3.15 mt of imported coal in February 2015 and 4.28 mt in March 2014.

The following chart provides the monthly break-up of coal imports by utilities in 2014-15 and 2013-14 and (in mt):