In a subtle indication, it appears that Coking Coal imports in India from Canada will increase from the current levels in the future.
The Union Steel Minister– Birender Singh—recently led a delegation, comprising of senior officials of the Steel Ministry and its public sector units, to Canada. During the visit, Singh had extensive interactions with James Carr, the Natural Resource Minister of Canada, on the strategic importance of Canada on the Indian steel industry.
The discussions revolved around:
> the growth of the Indian steel industry,
>the importance of Canadian Coking Coal for the Indian steel makers,
>possible collaborations in environmental friendly mining,|
>coal beneficiation and research & development.
During the discussions, it was also projected that imports of Coking Coal in India from Canada will increase in the future due to the rising steel production in India. The delegation also visited a Coking Coal mine in the state of British Columbia and saw its operations. Canada annually exports around 30 MnT of Coking Coal, out of which around 3 MnT is purchased by Indian steel producers.
Moreover, the delegation had a joint meeting in Toronto with various steel related Canadian institutions and industry representatives on a wide array of topics, including: efficient mining and logistics management, enhancing steel usage in Indian economy, research & development in steel making and promotion of steel as a preferred material in the construction sector.
Taking into account the targets of the National Steel Policy 2017, the Coking Coal requirement in India is projected to reach 160 MnT from the current level of 60 MnT. The rising coal consumption also necessitates exploration of multiple nations for importing the coal.
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