India: Southern ports to see highest thermal coal vessel arrival by 6 Oct’21

After over a month-long period of lower vessel arrival and depleting coal stock, southern ports in India are set to receive a total volume of 1.24 million tonnes (mn t) of thermal coal till 6 Oct’21, the highest in comparison to other ports, CoalMint’s vessel-line-up data (maintained as on 15 Sept’21) reveals.

Ennore Port is the highest receiver of thermal coal during this period with 0.24 mn t coming in from Indonesia, 0.12 mn t from U.S, 0.11 mn t from China, and 0.09 mn t coming from Australia, and South Africa each.

Krishnapatnam Port is the second-highest receiver of thermal coal, with total 0.59 mn t. Vessels are arriving from Australia (0.30 mn t), South Africa (0.16 mn t), and U.S. (0.12 mn t).

Mangalore and Tuticorin ports, however, are unlikely to receive any thermal coal vessels in the coming weeks, CoalMint data reveals.

Gangavaram Port is set to receive a total volume of 0.20 mn t of thermal coal from Mozambique and South Africa, while Vizag Port would receive 0.22 mn t. 

Highest vessels coming from Indonesia

Despite Indonesia’s rising coal prices, vessel arrival from this country continues to remain the highest. About 1.59 mn t of thermal coal is set to arrive at various ports till 6 Oct’21.

Amid the acute domestic coal shortage in India, several importers were heard to be procuring low-CV Indonesian coal at a premium of $1-5/t.

Agarwal Coal and Swiss Singapore are the top buyers of Indonesian coal with 0.32 mn t and 0.26 mn t, respectively.

Vessel arrival from Australia is the second-highest with a total volume of 0.84 mn t coming for JSW Energy and Reliance Industries.

A total quantity of 3.99 mn t of thermal coal from different origins is set to arrive at various Indian ports by 6 Oct’21.

 Ultratech Cement highest receiver

A total volume of 0.41 mn t of thermal coal is set to arrive for Ultratech Cement at Ennore and Kandla ports in the upcoming week.

Swiss Singapore is the second-highest receiver with 0.35 mn t of thermal coal at Ennore, Jaigarh, and Kandla ports. This is followed by Agarwal Coal with 0.32 mn t.

 Outlook

Amid an acute domestic coal shortage in the country and the government prioritising the power plants for domestic supplies, imported thermal coal bookings from the non-power sector are likely to rise in the coming weeks.