Coal news and updates

Malabar Cements extends imported coal bid submission date

October 10: Kerala-based Malabar Cements, which had floated a notice inviting tender (NIT) to procure 25,000 tons (+/-10%) of imported coal, has extended the offer submission date till October 23, 2014 up to 5 pm, an official from the company told ICMW.

The company is looking to procure coal with a GCV of 6,300 Kcal/Kg, total moisture of 12% (maximum) and inherent moisture of 6%, ash content of 18%, volatile matter 18-30%, total sulphur of 1% and the size should vary between 0-50 mm, the official said.

As per the previous NIT, interested parties were required to submit offers till September 12.

The coal requirement of Malabar Cements usually stands at around 50,000 tons per annum, most of which is imported or procured from traders. The imported coal comes mainly through the ports of New Mangalore, V O Chidambaranar, Cochin and Krishnapatnam, the official said.

Malabar Cements currently has a production capacity of 6 lakh tons per annum.

Expressing optimism, the official informed that the cement demand in southern India has picked up to some extent since June and is likely to improve further in the coming days.

In Kerala, demand for cement is also quite high at present, he added.