Economy & Market

Coal imports on the rise

Published

9 years ago

January 11, 2018

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CARE Ratings expects higher import of coal during FY19 (2018-19) in the range of 225-240 MT v/s 208 MT in FY18.

Total coal production in India during April-August 2018 was 264 million tonne (MT) and recorded a growth of 10 per cent y-o-y. It was mainly aided by 12 per cent growth in production by Coal India (216 MT) during the first five months of FY19. The two largest state-run coal miners (CIL and SCCL) produced 240 MT of coal, accounting for 90.5 per cent of total production in the country.

Imported Coal Volume up
Coal imports grew by 13.9 per cent during the April-August 2018 period, at 95.2 MT. Share of coal from Australia, Indonesia and South Africa stood at 21.8 per cent, 41.8 per cent and 14.8 per cent respectively. Coal from USA more than doubled y-o-y for the period and constitutes 8 per cent of the total coal imported by India.

‘Coal import trend is expected to continue as power, cement and steel industry are expected to witness improvement in demand and capacity utilisation. India is the second largest producer and second largest importer of coal behind China,’ leading rating firm CARE Ratings said in an update released in October 2018.

Performance of demand driving sectors
April-August 2018 period witnessed sustained demand for steam coal from power sector with electricity generation reporting 5.3 per cent growth year-on-year (y-o-y), while other sectors like cement and steel, which use thermal coal as feedstock and coking coal as raw material, reported steady growth in production. Steel production has been growing steadily and reported 3.4 per cent growth in FY18. Cement production grew by 14.7 per cent during April-August 2018, said the report, prepared by a team led by Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, CARE Ratings.

Thermal power plants in the country reported capacity utilisation above 60.5 per cent after having touched 59 per cent levels in 2017-18. Thermal power plants under CEA reported a marginal drop in receipt of imported coal from 23 MT for April-Aug 2017 v/s 22.5 MT for April-August 2018. This indicates captive power users and others industries are major drivers of demand for imported coal.

Domestic coal shortage has been widely reported especially for thermal power plants. The state-run miner (CIL) on its part has been trying to address the issue of coal shortage at power plants. CIL and SCCL together reported 9 per cent growth in offtake and 10.6 per cent growth in production during April-August 2018. Besides, supply chain issues due to inadequate rail-connectivity for coal evacuation and rake availability continue to be a major factor impacting availability of coal.

Shortage of coal has impacted spot market and merchant power tariffs, hitting Rs 18 per unit levels. Between January-August 2018, coal prices have been in the range of $100-125 with prices hitting the peak average price of $125 in April 2018. Global steam coal prices have been on a steady rise after having touched a low of $50 per tonne in May 2016.

The price fluctuation has been on account of change in policies and supply bottlenecks in Indonesia, which contributes to two-third of the thermal coal imports to India. Increase in demand for thermal coal from China has been another major factor for increase in global coal prices.

Domestically, CIL was planning to introduce a new pricing methodology based on energy content of coal starting April 1, 2018. The implementation of the same has been postponed and is still under discussion. CARE Ratings expects the same to be implemented in the coming quarters of FY19.

Domestic production & imports
Coal India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited are the two largest coal miners in the country. The two companies together produced 240 MT of coal which includes largely thermal coal and limited quantity of coking coal. ‘India’s largest coal producer CIL has been unable to meet its production target but we expect the same to improve in the following quarters as mining operations improve post monsoon, says CARE Ratings.

Capex achievement by CIL and NLC stood at 19 per cent of the Rs. 17,150 crore planned capex during the year. ‘In order to meet their production targets, the mining companies need to achieve their capex targets, focusing on improving production and productivity through mechanisation and automation,’ CARE Ratings adds.

India imported 95 MT of coal (coking and non-coking), recording a growth of 13.9 per cent y-o-y. India imports most of its thermal coal from Indonesia. Coking coal used in the steel industry is imported from Australia. Indonesia (39.8 MT), Australia (20.8MT), South Africa (14.2 MT) and USA (7.6 MT) are the largest source of imported coal by volume between April-August 2018.

Roughly 80-85 GW of thermal power capacity in India is partially or fully dependent on imported coal for fuel. Imported coking coal fulfils 65-70 per cent of the total coking coal demand from steel industry. Around three-fourth of India’s coking coal imports come from Australia, and the remaining from Canada, USA, Russia, Indonesia, etc.

Outlook
Total domestic coal production may remain stagnant with 2.5-3.5 per cent of growth in FY19 at 705-712 MT. Realisation is expected to increase especially on the back of shortage and implementation of the new coal pricing policy by CIL, says CARE Ratings. It expects higher import of coal during the year in the range of 225-240 MT vs 208 MT in FY18. Improved capacity utilisation in power (captive and non-captive users), cement and steel would be major drivers of coal import, the rating agency believes.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

6 days ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

7 days ago

October 8, 2026

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA,
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

Published

1 week ago

October 7, 2026

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UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.