Coal imports by Indian power plants have registered its highest y-o-y growth in the current fiscal during Jan’19, despite witnessing a modest decline m-o-m.
According to the data provided by power ministry, imported coal intake by power plants stood 27% higher Y-o-Y at 5.5223 MnT in Jan’19 compared with 4.339 MnT in Jan’18. Imports were, however, slightly lower on the month from 5.541 MnT in Dec’18.
A break up of imports based upon its utilisation indicates that coal imports bought for blending with domestic coal had increased 10% M-o-M to 2.0351 MnT in Jan’19 against 1.8533 MnT in Dec’18. While coal taken by plants designed to run on imported fuel, had fell 5% M-o-M to 3.4872 MnT in Jan’19.
In both cases, coal sourcing by private sector plants had fallen during the month. While central and state sector plant’s coal import had rebounded in Jan’19.
| Sector | Plants based on Domestic Coal | Plant Based on Imported Coal | |||||
| Jan’19 | Dec’18 | % Change | Sector | Jan’19 | Dec’18 | % Change | |
| Central | 0.1615 | 0.065 | 148% | Central | – | – | – |
| State | 0.5655 | 0.4731 | 20% | State | 0.1334 | 0.073 | 83% |
| Private | 1.3081 | 1.3152 | -1% | Private | 3.3538 | 3.6151 | -7% |
| Total | 2.0351 | 1.8533 | 10% | Total | 3.4872 | 3.6881 | -5% |
Source: Power Ministry
Quantity in MnT
Adani Power (Mundra) had received the highest coal shipment of 1.6153 MnT in Jan’19, followed by Coastal Gujarat power (0.8558 MnT), Semb Corp Gayathri power (0.5111 MnT) and TANGEDCO (0.3858 MnT).
Coal stock rose to highest level since FY18:
Power plants coal stock assessed at 24.898 MnT at the end of Jan’19, has achieved its highest level since Apr’17.
On the back of low coal stock levels, power plants’ had increased their appetite for imported coal. Consequently, power plants’ import during the first 10 months of FY19 (Apr’18-Jan’19) has reached 50.163 MnT, rising 5% Y-o-Y from 47.946 MnT in the corresponding period of FY18.
However, as a result of higher coal supplies from CIL/SCCL, stock at plants has been brought back to the normative levels.
The only reason of concern being the allotment from e-auction which had fell to a paltry 1.94 MnT in Jan’19, which indeed has helped CIL to attain new highs in e-auction price realisation for FY19.
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