India: RINL floats long-term global tender for 1.2 mnt/year low-ash met coke imports

• Company floats requirement for 12.5% ash coke with 65% CSR
• Operational issues with coke ovens force steelmaker to import coke

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), has invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) from overseas producers of low ash metallurgical (LAM) coke as it prepares to float a global long-term procurement tender for imports.

The EOI, issued on 28 July, aims to identify eligible overseas producers for a proposed one-year Long-Term Agreement (LTA) covering approximately 1.2 million tonnes (mnt) of LAM coke annually, equivalent to around 100,000 t per month. RINL clarified that the current exercise is only for supplier pre-qualification and will serve as the basis for the subsequent global tender.

The steelmaker plans to source material directly from overseas producers that own and operate their own coke ovens. Agency participation will not be permitted, and bidders must provide an undertaking confirming the absence of intermediaries.

The technical specifications require LAM coke with a maximum ash content of 12.5%, minimum 65% Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR), maximum 5% moisture, and a mean coke size of 50 mm, along with other prescribed quality parameters.

Interested suppliers have been asked to submit details of their production capacity, coke oven technology, coal blend, export track record, financial statements for the last three years, quality certifications and recent test reports from internationally recognised laboratories. The deadline for submission of EOIs is 26 August.

The proposed procurement programme is expected to expand RINL’s overseas supplier base and establish a long-term sourcing framework for metallurgical coke, a key blast furnace raw material.

Prior to this, the company had conducted an e-auction for 150,000 t of imported coking coal on 25 July comprising 75,000 t each of premium washed Goonyella coking coal and Brooks run high-volatile coking coal, which reportedly witnessed weak participation, with no bids received for the material. According to market participants, RINL is currently holding comfortable coking coal inventories while operational issues related to its coke oven batteries are forcing the company to liquidate coking coal stocks and procure met coke.