New Delhi: India's coal imports surged 19 percent last year to 210.55 million tonnes (MT) on demand from power sector, but the ongoing coal industry strike is unlikely to cause a further spurt, according to online marketplace mjunction.
India had imported 176.97 MT of coal in 2013.
"Of the total imports during the year, steam coal stood at 162.96 MT, up 22 percent from 133.54 MT imported in 2013 whereas coking coal imports in 2014 rose to 37.06 MT, up 4.04 percent from 35.62 MT in 2013," said mjunction CEO and MD Viresh Oberoi.
Scotching fears of further rise in imports due to ongoing strike by Coal India, Oberoi said, "We do not see any spurt in import because of that, but import is likely to be slightly higher compared to December 2014 going by past trend."
There was also a sharp increase in imports of anthracite coal, pulverised coal (PCI), metallurgical coal and petroleum coke last year, he added.
Mjunction collates its data based on monitoring of vessels' positions and from shipping companies.
Imports of anthracite surged to 1.62 MT from 0.75 MT while PCI imports spurted to 2.14 MT in 2014 from 1.89 MT in 2013.
India imported 2.66 MT metallurgical coke in 2014 from 2.39 MT in 2013. Petroleum coke imports surged to 4.11 MT in 2014 from 2.78 MT a year ago.
During the first nine months of current fiscal, imports of coal stood at 167.60 MT, up 20.89 percent from 138.64 MT imported during the corresponding period of the last fiscal, Oberoi said.
"Imports of steam coal during the nine months of 2014-15 stood at 131.73 MT, up 24.87 percent from 105.49 MT recorded in the same period of 2013-14 while coking coal imports stood at 28.47 MT, up marginally from 27.21 mt during the period under review," he added.
