Coal imports through India's 12 state-run ports increased for the fourth straight month in November, official data showed.

 

The 12 ports imported a total of 18.13 million tonnes of coal in November, up 26.4% year on year (YoY) and 7.69% month on month (MoM), the highest since April 2015, showed the latest data from Indian Ports Association.

 

 

Thermal coal imports at these ports reached 11.56 million tonnes, rising 18.46% YoY and 4.01% MoM, while coking coal imports stood at 6.57 million tonnes, rising 43.32% YoY and 14.82% MoM, data showed.

 

Paradip port in East India received most thermal coal among all these ports in November, at 4.16 million tonnes, rising 6.55% YoY and 0.99% MoM.

 

Kolkata, also along the east coast, imported most coking coal last month at 2.18 million tonnes, rising 31.61% YoY and 6.24% MoM.

 

Imports at these ports totaled 127 million tonnes during the first eight months of the fiscal year 2023-24 (April-November), a 1.9% rise from 125 million tonnes last year. Thermal coal imports reached 84.69 million tonnes, down 2.75% YoY, and coking coal imports at 42.35 million tonnes, up 12.66%.

 

The total coal handling volume at the 12 ports reached 535 million tonnes during the same period, up 5.51% from 507 million tonnes a year ago.

 

India's 12 state-owned ports are Kolkata, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Ennore, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), and Kandla.