Coal news and updates

Pet coke imports via Chennai plunge to 87 tons in Oct

November 27: Petroleum coke imports through Chennai Port plunged to a mere 87 tons in October 2014 against 387 tons in September, as per provisional information available with ICMW.

Imports of the material in October 2013 stood at 40 tons.

Imports of pet coke through the port in the first seven months of the current financial year stood at 2,091 tons as against 1,905 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 October, 61 tons arrived from China in a range of Rs 30,805-Rs 46,063 ($494-742), 24 tons from Germany at a unit price of Rs 46,805 ($754) and the remaining 3 tons from Japan in a band of Rs 286,804-315,217 ($4,604 – 5,080) per ton.

In September, 320 tons arrived from China in a band of Rs 24,028 – Rs 44,912 ($394 – 733) per ton, 48 tons came in from Germany in a range of Rs 46,659- Rs 47,186 ($756-774) per ton, 18 came in from Sweden at a unit price of Rs 71,761 ($1176) while the balance 1 ton arrived from Japan where the price could not be ascertained.

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.