As the Indian cement sector seeks a cheaper alternative to the increasingly scarce pet coke, two companies-Shree Cement and Ultratech have taken one cargo of US high-sulphur coal, with others set to follow suit.India’s coal imports are set to grow rapidly to over 100 mt of thermal coal this year, most of it from Indonesia and South Africa destined for power generators. Some Indian end-users are likely to turn to the very high-sulphur Illinois Basin coals to take advantage of their lower prices and greater supply than petroleum coke.Illinois Basin thermal coal of 3.5 per cent sulphur, with a similar energy value, has been trading at a discount of $25/t to European delivered prices or roughly $70/t FOB. US petcoke with 6.5 per cent sulphur and energy content of around 7,000kc/kg was sold in February at $120/t CIF.