After rising sharply over the last three months, coal traffic (coking and non-coking combined) handled at India ports fell 9% m-o-m to 32 million tonnes (mnt) in July, 2022, CoalMint data shows.
Coal traffic fell due to a 12% decline in imports at 25 mnt last month and amid the ongoing monsoon season that generally disrupts port operations.
Thermal coal traffic handled at ports recorded a 7% drop to 27 mnt, wherein coking coal shipments recorded a 15% fall to 6 mnt.
Port traffic refers to shipments via imports, exports and coastal movement between different ports within India.
*Quantity in mnt
Elevated global coal prices and a slowdown in manufacturing activity during the monsoon season resulted in a decline in shipments last month.
Amid heavy rainfall, domestic coal dispatches fell by 10% m-o-m to 68 mnt in July, wherein CIL volumes stood at 55 mnt.
India’s domestic coal output also fell by 11% m-o-m in July to 60 mnt, wherein CIL volumes were at 47 mnt last month.
Key ports of thermal coal traffic
As per CoalMint data, the highest rise in thermal coal traffic was observed at Vizag and Ennore ports with 52% and 13% growth, respectively, in vessel arrivals. Paradip Port received the largest number of shipments at 4.4 mnt.
Key ports of coking coal traffic
The highest decline in coking coal traffic was observed in Paradip Port, which recived 900,000 t of coking coal cargoes. There was a 50% fall in Ganagavaram port traffic.
Outlook
India’s coal traffic is likely to increase post monsoon as manufacturing activity gains momentum. Elevated global prices, however, could cap any major rise in imports.
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