Thermal coal imports at India’s 12 major ports declined 14.98% with 74.60 million tonnes (MT) during the fiscal year of April 2019-January 2020, compared to 87.74 MT of the dry fuel in the same period of the previous year, according to data provided by the Indian Ports Association.
Imports of coking and other coal increased by 1.10% at 47.08 MT during the period. These ports had handled 46.57 MT of coking coal in the corresponding period last fiscal.
Thermal coal is the mainstay of India’s energy programme as 70% of power generation is dependent on the dry fuel, while coking coal is used mainly for steel-making.
India is the third-largest producer of coal after China and the US and has 299 billion tonnes of resources and 123 billion tonnes of proven reserves, which may last for over 100 years.
India has 12 major ports — Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (Ennore), V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) which handle approximately 61% of the country’s total cargo traffic.
These ports recorded a marginal 1.14% growth in total cargo volumes at 585.72 MT during April-January period of the current fiscal, compared to 579.10 MT during the last fiscal, the data showed.
While the handling of thermal coal shipments declined 14.98% to 74.60 MT, iron ore saw 39.02% jump to 45.05 MT during the period, the IPA data showed.
The 12 ports had handled 32.37 MT of iron ore during April-January period of the previous fiscal.
Finished fertiliser volumes jumped 21.55%, but raw fertiliser volumes dipped 2.80%.
Containers recorded a growth of 2.65% in terms of TEUs.
According to the figures, Deendayal port handled the highest traffic volume at 101.96 MT during April-January 2019-20, followed by:
- Paradip at 93.38 MT,
- Visakhapatnam at 60.73 MT,
- JNPT at 56.64 MT,
- Kolkata (including Haldia) at 53 MT,
- Mumbai at 51.34 MT.
- Chennai at 39.80 MT and
- New Mangalore at 30.91 MT.
