As per the data provided by Power Ministry, coal imports taken by Indian power utilities have increased 29% on the year to 6.351 MnT in May’19, compared with 4.912 MnT in May’18.
The stronger y-o-y comparison was due to the resumption of power units at Adani’s Mundra plant, which have apparently taken higher imports than from the year-ago month.
Import volumes had however come down slightly on the month from 6.3932 MnT reported in Apr’19.
Adani power’s Mundra plant was the largest coal receiver in May’19, which had recorded an 8-fold increase in coal imports to 1.6 MnT. Tata power’s plant at Mundra was the second-largest receiver with 1.01 MnT coal, followed by Sembcorp SGPL plant(0.6 MnT), TANGEDCO (0.49 MnT) and JSW Energy (0.4 MnT).
Amid higher intake in the beginning of FY20, Indian power utilities have accumulated 12.7 MnT coal imports during Apr-May’19 period, which was 47% higher on the year from 8.643 MnT recorded in Apr-May’18.
Plant-wise Coal Imports:
A design-wise break-up of plants indicate that coal imports taken by power plants designed to run on domestic coal had increased 12% Y-o-Y to 2.403 MnT in May’19 compared with 2.147 MnT in May’18, which were also slightly higher on the month recorded from 2.3816 MnT in Apr’19.
On the other hand, coal imports by power plants designed to run on imported coal had increased 43% Y-o-Y to 3.948 MnT in May’19, but decreased 2% on the month from 4.012 MnT in Apr’19.
Out of the total volume, intake by central run plants had witnessed a significant jump during May’19, marked at 0.364 MnT.
Coal import by state sector plants fell 11% Y-o-Y to 1.019 MnT, while receipt by private plants had up ticked 33% Y-o-Y to 4.968 MnT in May’19.
| Sector | Plants based on Domestic Coal | Plant Based on Imported Coal | Total Coal Receipt | ||||
| May’19 | May’18 | May’19 | May’18 | May’19 | May’18 | %Change | |
| Central | 0.364 | 0.031 | 0 | 0 | 0.364 | 0.031 | 1075% |
| State | 0.897 | 1.02 | 0.1216 | 0.126 | 1.019 | 1.146 | -11% |
| Private | 1.141 | 1.096 | 3.8265 | 2.639 | 4.968 | 3.735 | 33% |
| Total | 2.403 | 2.147 | 3.948 | 2.765 | 6.351 | 4.912 | 29% |
Source: Power Ministry
Quantity in MnT
Combined Coal Stock:
Coal stock at the power plants was assessed 5% lower on the month at 32.89 MnT at the end of May’19 as compared with 34.76 MnT in Apr’19, primarily due to higher coal consumption in May’19. However, stock levels had noted a significant jump y-o-y from 19.08 MnT recorded at the end of May’18.
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