Contents 26 Imported steam coal prices show divergent trends in Jan 27 Coking coal prices firm up on restricted availability from Mongolia 28 CIL gearing up to ramp up production in Q4 to achieve yearly target 31 India’s coal imports up 11.7% in 2012 34 CIL switches to BOO scheme for washeries, disappoints big players 36 India’s December power generation up m-o-m 38 Indian paper industry battles slumping demand 40 Sponge iron sector will see recovery only on revival in steel demand 44 The year that was: India in 2012 49 Major Indian refiners despatch 78 rakes of pet coke in December 50 Coal India likely to report marginal decline in Q3 net: analysts 51 Gujarat NRE posts higher Q3 net despite sharp fall in met coke prices 52 World energy efficiency to improve 31% by 2030 58 US coal production declined by 6.3% in 2012: EIA 59 Traffic handling by major ports down 3% in April-December 60 Railways coal handling up 8.8% in December 61 Dedicated freight corridor project to be ready by 2017 63 Coal movement may be affected due to Maha Kumbh Mela 64 Annexure 66 E-auction 68 Port data
4 Coal Insights, January 2013
6 | Cover Story
Restructuring of CIL: A delicate move Splitting of subsidiaries will deliver mixed results, may not ease current obstacles.
20 | INTERVIEW
CIL recast proposal will be counterproductive Don’t unsettle the set up that created the world’s largest coal miner, asks P S Bhattacharyya.
32 | FEATURE
Customs classification may hit India’s coal imports The customs is classifying steam coal as bituminous coal and asking for higher duty.
42 | OPINION
2013 to be slow amid mixed signals from India: Sandvik The company will bring in its entire product range to India once the market opens up.
53 | INTERNATIONAL
Will coal end OPEC’s hegemony? The rise of coal is a disturbing development for different bodies for different reasons.