Coal news and updates

June pet coke imports via Chennai more than treble m-o-m

July 25: Petroleum coke imports through Chennai Port in June 2014 more than trebled to 622 tons against 115 tons reported in May 2014, as per provisional information available with ICMW.

Imports of the material in June 2013 stood at 1,154 tons.

Imports of pet coke through the port in the first three months of the current financial year stood at 838 tons against 1,518 tons imported in the same period of the previous fiscal (2013-14).

The following table contains the month-wise import figures of pet coke via Chennai Port during 2013-14 and 2014-15:

In June, 561 tons arrived from China in a price band of Rs 23,877 – Rs 44,069 ($395-736) per ton, 24 tons from Germany at Rs 47,869 ($800) per ton, 2 tons from Japan at Rs 29,687 ($494) and the balance 35 tons from Sweden in a range of Rs 70,725 – Rs 70,823 ($1,182-1,172) per ton.     

In May 102 tons arrived from China at a price range of Rs 30,805-Rs 44,680 ($506-$733), 2 tons from Japan at a unit price of Rs 30,399 ($500) and the balance 11 tons arrived from arrived from the UK at a price range of Rs 51,939-Rs 53,282 ($864-$887).

Coal handling at Chennai Port has been suspended since October 2012 following a ban imposed by the Madras High Court on handling of dirty cargo of coal and iron ore at the port with effect from October 1, 2011. The court order came following the hearing of public interest litigation (PIL). However, old stocks are getting cleared.