Economy & Market

Coal import witnesses growth

Published

8 years ago

May 31, 2018

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Coal imports grew by 8.1 per cent in FY18 on the back of sustained demand from steel sector for coking coal and steady demand from the power and cement industry.
Coal production in India touched 688.4 MT in FY18, clocking a 2.5 per cent increase over last year’s production. The two large state-run coal miners, Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) together accounted for 91.6 per cent of the total coal produced in the country during FY18.
Coal imports grew by 8.1 per cent in FY18 on the back of sustained demand from steel sector for coking coal and steady demand from the power and cement industry. Total coal import in FY18 stood at 213 MT, against 195 MT in FY17. Australia, Indonesia and South Africa are the three largest exporters of coal to India and contribute to 75-80 per cent of the country’s total coal import.
Coal imports were widely anticipated to fall during FY18. The government has been pushing steam coal consumers especially power producers to replace imported coal with domestic coal. But inadequate coal transportation infrastructure especially availability of rakes has been hampering supply to power producers. Coal import trend is expected to continue as power, cement and steel industry are expected to witness improvement in demand and capacity utilisation.Global trend
China continues to be the largest coal producer globally and accounts for 45 per cent of the world coal production. The USA, India, Australia and Indonesia together account for 33 per cent of the world coal production. Global coal production stood at 7,270 MT. Globally, coal production has been declining and 2016 marked the largest single-year global production volume decline as per data available from International Energy Agency (IEA).
Developed economies namely USA, China and Europe continued to report fall in demand for coal and have reported growth in gas-based and renewable energy generation. India remains among the top-three coal producers in the world and as per data for 2016 by IEA, overtook USA. USA as mentioned above reported fall in production, whereas India has been reporting growth in production to fuel its large thermal power capacity which contributes to 72 per cent of the country’s electricity generation.
Australia accounts for 18-20 per cent of the world coking coal production. India, China and Japan are the largest importers of coking coal from Australia. China is the largest coking coal consumer and accounts for 60-62 per cent of the world consumption. India which is the second largest coking coal consumer accounts for 10-11 per cent of the world consumption.
Australia and Indonesia continued to be the largest coal exporting nations in the world and accounted for 57 per cent of the total coal export volume. The top-4 destinations of exported coal were China, India, Japan and South Korea and accounted for 58.5 per cent of the total global coal import volume.India: Performance of demand driving sectors for coal
The year witnessed sustained demand for steam coal from power sector. Other sectors like cement and steel which use thermal coal as feedstock and coking coal as raw material reported steady growth in production. Thermal power plants in the country reported capacity utilisation above 60 per cent after having touched 59 per cent levels in 2016-17.
The power sector reported shortage in supply of coal from state-run coal miner’s, which has been affecting the operational performance of thermal power plants. The shortage can be roughly equated to the shortfall in CILs coal production target, i.e., 33 MT. Inadequate rail-connectivity and rake availability have been some of the major hurdles which led to shortage of coal during the year at thermal power plants. State-run miner CIL has is expected to invest significantly into developing railway infrastructure over the next 12-18 months which is expected to improve the connectivity of pitheads.
In the absence of unavailability of cheap domestic coal, thermal power plants, in and around coastal regions and ports opt for imported coal.
Steel production has been growing steadily and reported 5.6 per cent growth in FY18. Cement production grew by 6.3 per cent in FY18. During the last 12-months, average global coal prices have been in the range of $ 70-106 with prices hitting the peak in January 2018 after having bottomed out at $72.5 per tonne in May 2017.
Global steam coal prices have been on a steady rise after having touched a low of $ 50 per tonne in May 2016, on the back low demand from China. Coal India, countries largest coal producer hiked coal prices by 10 per cent in January 2018. The average coal price depending upon the Gross Calorific Value (GCV) of coal ranged between Rs 530-3,290 per tonne.
Domestic coal shortage has been widely reported especially for thermal power plants. The state-run miners (CIL and SCCL) on their part have been trying to address the issue of coal shortage at power plants. During the year, 580.3 MT of coal has been made available to the consumers, 7 per cent increase over previous year. CIL has introduced new pricing methodology based on energy content of coal starting April 1, 2018. The same would not have a significant impact on the prices of domestic coal. The price of each tonne of coal will be based on its total energy content.Coal import
Coal accounted for 4.9 per cent of total imported goods by value (approximately $22 billion) and is the fourth most imported commodity behind petroleum, precious stones and gold.Steam/thermal coal import
India imported around 155-158 MT of steam or steam coal used as fuel for thermal power plants. Roughly 80-85 GW of thermal power capacity in India is partially or fully dependent on imported coal to fuel these power plants. Additional 6-7 MT of other types of bituminous and coke was imported for other industries. Indonesia (81.5 MT), South Africa (33.5 MT), USA (6 MT), Mozambique (3.1 MT) and Australia (1.7MT) are the largest exporters of Steam coal to India between April-Feb 2018.Coking/metallurgical coal
Coking coal, also known as metallurgical coal, is used to create coke, one of the key inputs for the production of steel. China, India, South Korea, Japan and European Nations are major global demand centres of coking coal for manufacturing steel.
India imported roughly 46.5 MT (estimates) of coking coal in FY18, 8.1 per cent growth over import volumes in FY17. India also has coking coal reserves but the quality of domestic coking coal is inferior to imported coking coal. Imported coking coal fulfils 65-70 per cent of the total coking coal demand from steel industry.
Around 3/4th of India’s coking coal imports come from Australia, and the remaining from Canada, USA, Russia, Indonesia etc.Performance of CIL and SCCL
Coal India and Singareni Collieries Company are the two largest coal miners in the country. The two companies together produced 629.4 MT of coal which includes both steam and coking coal. India’s largest coal producer CIL has been unable to meet its annual target set by Government. CIL meeting its coal mining target would easily help cut coal imports by up to 10-15 per cent depending upon the quality of coal produced.CARE Ratings view
Total coal production may stagnate during the year given no visible improvement in availability of rakes or increase in evacuation infrastructure for mined coal. We expect the total domestic coal production to grow in the range of 2.5-3.5 per cent (705-712) MT for FY19. There is an immediate requirement to auction private coal blocks of coking and steam coal for 50 MT per annum, in order to control import of steam and coking coal. Total import of coal including coking coal and steam coal could touch 235-245 MT if the government approves an order to ban use of pet coke which is a feedstock in cement industry. Additional 35-40 MT of imported steam coal would be required to compensate for the pet
coke ban.Source: CARE Ratings

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

9 hours 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

1 day 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

2 days 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.