India asks utilities to import 6% of their coal for nine months
NEW DELHI - India's power ministry has asked utilities to import 6% of their coal requirement until September, according to a letter seen by Reuters, warning that domestic supplies could be curtailed if import targets are not met.
Coal accounts for more than 70% of India's power generation, with coal-fired plants accounting for more than three quarters of India's use of the polluting fuel.
Estimated domestic coal supply of 392-million tonnes during the six months to the end of September is expected to fall short of demand by 24-million tonnes, according to the letter sent to heads of energy departments of states and managing directors of all utilities.
"Energy demand has increased sharply and it is expected to remain at increased level during first half of 2023/24," a Power Ministry official said in the letter.
The Ministry's remarks to officials in the letter constitute a directive because New Delhi largely controls domestic output and distribution of coal.
India has a long-standing policy to trim imports of coal, but the country's power minister in April urged states to step up coal imports for the next three years to build up inventories and satisfy demand.
Although the energy hungry nation has made international commitments for a gradual cut in its use of the fuel, it has said it will not phase out coal-fired plants in the near future because they provide cheap electricity.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation