Coal news and updates

Indian power utilities’ June coal imports up marginally

July 16: Imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) in June 2014 rose marginally by 0.80% to 7.55 mt compared to 7.49 mt imported in May 2014, according to provisional data compiled by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and available with ICMW.

However, the imports in June 2014 were up 1.48% from 7.44 mt recorded in the same month in 2013.

Of the total imports in June 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 3.56 mt, which was 79% of the target of 4.50 mt for the month.

These plants had imported 3.48 mt of coal in May 2014 and 4.28 mt in June 2013.

The imported coal-based plants, mainly located in the coastal areas, had brought in 3.98 mt of coal in June, which was 119% of the target of 3.33 mt for the month.

These plants had brought in 4.02 mt of imported coal in May 2014 and 3.158 mt in June 2013.

During the first three months (April-June) of 2014-15, imports of steam coal by Indian power utilities (both imported coal-based and domestic coal-based plants) stood at 22.54 mt as compared to 22.59 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):