India's coal imports hit record high in June

Coal accounts for nearly three-fourths of India's power output, and utilities account for over 75% of India's coal consumption.

India's coal imports hit a record high in June despite high global prices, data from three trade sources and Refinitiv ship tracking showed, as economic activity picked up and amid a domestic shortage of the fuel.

India imported over 25 million tonnes of thermal coal and coking coal in June, rising by over a third compared with the same period last year, data from consultancies Coalmint, Kpler, and trader I-Energy Natural Resources showed.

Imports of thermal coal — used mainly in electricity generation — jumped to 19.6 million tonnes, while shipments of coking coal — used in steelmaking — rose to about 5.4 million tonnes, Coalmint and I-energy data showed.

Coal accounts for nearly three-fourths of India's power output, and utilities account for over 75% of India's coal consumption.

The nation's annual power demand is growing at the fastest rate in at least 38 years and high global coal prices, amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, are straining the finances of debt-laden government-run utilities.

Thermal coal imports jumped 40%, while imports of coking coal surged 23%, data from India-based trader I-Energy showed.

Coal shipments from top supplier Indonesia more than tripled to a record 14.5 million tonnes, while imports of coal from Russia nearly doubled to 1.2 million tonnes, Kpler data showed. The imports included thermal, coking, PCI coal and anthracite.