Coal news and updates

Indian power utilities’ July coal imports drop 4.10% m-o-m

August 12: Imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) in July 2014 dropped by 4.10% to 7.24 million tons (mt) compared to 7.55 mt in June 2014, according to provisional data compiled by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and available with ICMW.

However, the imports in July 2014 were down 3.07% from 7.47 mt recorded in the same month of 2013.

Of the total imports in July 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 3.69 mt, which was 89% of the target of 4.16 mt. 

These plants had imported 3.91 mt of coal in July 2013 and 4.28 mt in June 2013.

The imported coal-based plants, mainly located in the coastal areas, had brought in 3.55 mt of coal in July 2014, which was 106% of the target of 3.33 mt.

These plants had brought in 3.556 mt of imported coal in July 2013 and 3.158 mt in June 2013.

During the first four months (April-July) of 2014-15, imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) stood at 29.85 mt as compared to 29.66 mt imported during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) during 2013-14 stood at 79.390 mt, up 26.9% from 62.570 mt recorded during 2012-13.

During 2013-14, the domestic coal-based plants had brought in 37.340 mt of the fuel while imported coal-based plants had brought in 42.060 mt as compared to 30.910 mt and 31.640 mt brought in by domestic coal-based plants and imported coal-based plants, respectively.

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