Coal imports taken by Indian power plants have posted 5% growth on the month during Aug’19, data provided by power ministry shows.
Coal imports were noted at 5.251 MnT in Aug’19 as against 4.99 MnT in Jul’19. Coal volumes were also 6% higher on the year from 4.95 MnT in Aug’18, although the y-o-y rise was recorded slowest for the FY20.
Power utilities have seen renewed interest for imported coal this year, gained by the resumption of power units at Adani’s Mundra power plant and an uptick in NTPC’s coal imports.
During the first 5-months of FY20 (Apr-Aug’19), imports by power plants have increased 28% Y-o-Y to 28.7 MnT compared with 22.473 MnT noted in Apr-Aug’18 period.
Appetite for coal imports have also been boosted by weaker domestic coal supplies. Incidentally, coal supplies to power plants have fell to 236.29 MnT in the 5-month period as against 236.63 MnT in the year-ago period.
Sector-wise Coal Imports in Aug’19
A break-up of coal imports indicate that volumes taken by power plants for blending purpose had increased 10% M-o-M to 1.852 MnT in Aug’19. While plants designed to run on imported coal had taken 3.4 MnT coal, up 3% on the month from 3.312 MnT in Jul’19.
Coal intake by central run power plants rose to a 4-month high, marked at 0.397 MnT in Aug’19.
Import taken by state-run utilities increased 27% M-o-M to 0.666 MnT in Aug’19 compared with 0.525 MnT in Jul’19. Among the total volume, a fall of 16% was recorded in sourcing of Sikka power plant, which is the lone utility designed to run on imported fuel in the list.
Imports taken for blending purpose by private sector plants extended its fall on the month, as it attained a 6-month low total during Aug’19. While that recorded by plants designed on imported coal had increased 3% on the month to 3.299 MnT in Aug’19.
| Sector | Plants based on Domestic Coal | Plant Based on Imported Coal | Total Imports | ||||||
| Aug’19 | Jul’19 | % Change | Aug’19 | Jul’19 | % Change | Aug’19 | Jul’19 | % Change | |
| Central | 0.397 | 0.336 | 18% | – | – | – | 0.397 | 0.336 | 18% |
| State | 0.566 | 0.405 | 40% | 0.100 | 0.120 | -16% | 0.666 | 0.525 | 27% |
| Private | 0.889 | 0.937 | -5% | 3.299 | 3.192 | 3% | 4.188 | 4.129 | 1% |
| Total | 1.852 | 1.678 | 10% | 3.400 | 3.312 | 3% | 5.251 | 4.990 | 5% |
Source: Power Ministry
Quantity in MnT
Adani Power (Mundra) remained the largest coal imported with receipt of 1.5 MnT coal in Aug’19. Tata Power (0.53 MnT), TANGEDCO (0.47 MnT), JSW Energy (0.41 MnT) and Semb Corp (0.33 MnT) were the other noticeable coal receivers during the month.
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