Coal Insights Magazine - September 2017

In this issue

Thermal coal prices may end 2017 north of $100/ton
Global demand set to grow 4% but supply may show 13 mt deficit. So, who will plug in this gap?

Also read:
• NTPC coal mines to become operational in FY18
• RINL tapping newer geographies for coking coal
• India’s petcoke demand outlook bullish
• Railways to bank on CIL’s connectivity projects to win back coal

Plus regular features, corporate, logistics, international news & price analyses

2018 Global Thermal Coal May Swing Between $80 And $100

Global thermal coal markets are in the second wave of their peak-trough and, it seems, for the first time, the signals are loud and clear. The outlook is strong and demand in calendar 2017 is set to grow by an additional hefty 40 million tons (mt), in which China alone will contribute 25 mt. But it is not China all the way. There are incremental thermal coal-fired capacities coming up in other Asian countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and many others. On the other hand, supply is expected to grow by around 27 mt, which leaves a deficit of 13 mt this calendar. So, how will this gap be plugged? It will be mainly fed by swing suppliers from the United States and Russia, especially since the former likes the taste of higher pricing and comes into the market only when the rates touch above $80 per ton! But India is proving to be a damper. Had its coal imports not been on a decline, the demand side figure could have been pegged at 50 mt, reveals Rodrigo Echeverri Cardozo, Head of Hard Commodities Research, Noble Resources, to Madhumita Mookerji. Excerpts from a free-wheeling interview:

9 mins

India Dances To Dragon, Aussie Met Coal Beats!

China leverages its domestic met coal production to control prices

5 mins

Steam Coal Offers Move Up In September

Steam coal offers from key shippers such as South Africa, Australia and Indonesia rose in September, riding on resurgent demand from Chinese and Indian buyers ahead of the winter months, industry sources said.

2 mins

India's Jul Coal Imports Down 24% Y-O-Y

India’s coal and coke imports during July 2017 through 31 major and non-major ports are estimated down by 24.21 percent compared to July 2016, according to a compilation by Coal Insights, based on monitoring of vessels’ positions and data received from shipping companies and various sources.

1 min

5 NTPC Coal Mines To Become Operational In FY18

Captive production to yield 56 mt of coal for country’s largest power generator

5 mins

SCCL's Production Jumps 7.11% In August Y-O-Y

After a meagre growth recorded in the first quarter, Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) achieved a 7.11 percent growth in coal production in August 2017, compared to the same month last year, according to data released by the company.

1 min

India's Sponge Iron Production Up Marginally

India’s gross sponge iron production rose 1.7 percent to 8.33 million tons (mt) in April-July 2017, up from 8.19 million tons in the same period last year, provisional steel ministry data showed. 

2 mins

Indonesian Power Sector Facing Short Circuit?

Could king coal retain its throne or would it have to abdicate in favour of renewables? The war is intensifying day by day and power generation is the sector where ripples of the oncoming tsunami could most be felt. 

9 mins

11th Indian Coal Markets Conference Focus On Industry Challenges

mjunction services limited, a joint venture between Tata Steel and SAIL, and the country’s largest e-marketplace for coal and steel, hosted the 11th International Coal Markets Conference (ICMC).

2 mins

Traffic Handled By Major Ports Up 3% In Apr-Aug 2017

The 12 major Indian ports handled 273.96 million tons (mt) of total traffic during April-August period of 2017, about 3.26 percent higher than 265.3 mt recorded during April-August, 2016, according to data released by the Indian Ports Association (IPA).

1 min

Read all stories from Coal Insights

Coal Insights Magazine Description:

Coal Insights is India's premier and widely read monthly magazine on coal & mining industry published by mjunction services ltd (A JV of Tata Steel and SAIL).It caters to the entire coal supply chain from mining to consumption. It tracks the coal market with special focus on India, & covers production & consumption reports, as well as dispatch and stocks at power plants.It covers a variety of topics including demand, supply, e-marketing, mining technology, imports, pricing and policy matters, logistics, infrastructure and clean coal initiative. It also covers the interviews of the decision makers of coal industry on a regular basis.

Also includes daily news headlines & daily newsletter on coal industry.