Indian Power Plants’ Coal Import Rises 32% M-o-M in May’18

Coal Imports by Indian power plants’ have increased 32% M-o-M in May’18, as rise in power demand had incite higher coal consumption at the power stations necessitating higher imports.

Indian power plants’ coal imports were recorded at 4.912 MnT in May’18 against 3.731 MnT in Apr’18. On the yearly basis, imports had fell 8% from 5.331 MnT in May’17.

Coastal Gujarat power (0.984 MnT), Semb Corp Gayathri Power (0.662 MnT), TANGEDCO (0.589 MnT), and JSW Energy (0.405 MnT) were among the major coal importers during the month.

Data provided by CEA shows that the coal consumption at the thermal power plants had increased 6% on the month to 56.381 MnT in May’18 against 53.422 MnT in Apr’18. On the other hand, power plants had only received 54.683 MnT coal (via CIL/SCCL, Captive, E-auctions and Imports) in May’18, as a result the closing stock at the power plants has fell to a 5-month low of 19.084 MnT at the end of May’18.

Sector-wise Break up of Coal Imports:
Power plants designed to run on domestic coal, had imported 2.147 MnT coal in May’18 for blending purpose. Coal import was 50% higher on the month from 1.427 MnT in Apr’18.

NTPC power plant had imported 0.031 MnT coal in May’18, which marked the first import shipments for the central sector power plants in FY18. Coal import by State and Private sector plants had increased 45% and 52% respectively on the monthly basis in May’18.

Power plants designed on imported coal had also recorded an increase in coal imports in May’18. However, coal import by state run Sikka power plant was down 26% M-o-M to 0.126 MnT in May’18 against 0.17 MnT in Apr’18.

Private sector plants designed to run on imported coal had received 2.639 MnT coal in May’18, up 24% M-o-M from 2.134 MnT in Apr’18.

Adani’s Mundra power plant in Gujarat had witnessed significant rise in coal imports during the month, as imports had rose 118% M-o-M to 0.198 MnT in May’18.Owing to higher global coal price, the power company had shut down 8 power units during Oct’17-Mar’18. However, the latest report of CEA has shown that only 5 units of Mundra plant are currently out of the national grid as on 17 Jun’18.

Source: Power Ministry
Quantity in MnT