High global coal prices hit power projects

Spot prices for the fuel have appreciated almost 10% in November.

After a sedate year, rising coal prices could hit the coffers of import-based domestic power generators in the next year. Spot prices for the fuel at Australia’s Newcastle port, a benchmark for Asia, have appreciated almost 10 per cent in November and rates at China’s Qinhuangdao port, a standard for the world’s largest coal consumer, have also seen a steady increase over the last two months.

Harried by the supply-demand mismatch in Indian coal production, a number of private sector power companies have pegged their port-based projects on overseas coal, with a specific dependence on the Indonesian variety. These include Reliance Power, which intends on using Krishnapatnam port, Essar Power, through Salaya port, and Tata Power as well as Adani Power, both of who will use Mundra Port.

 

“With Indian coal mining companies being unable to provide service to power producers such as NTPC, there is a huge dependence on the international market which is expected to increase as the volumes required are just not available in the country. Although long-term arrangements are being worked out, substantial amount of coal comes through the import route at present,” an analyst with InfralineEnergy Reseach and Information said.

However, with Indonesia’s thermal coal export growth likely to see a marked slowdown, importing the fuel will become more expensive for Indian firms.

Although Indonesian exports account for over 35 per cent of the global sea-borne coal market, the ability of Indonesian producers to ramp up production for sustaining export growth could be constrained by delay and regulatory uncertainties. Also, rising demand from Indonesian power producers and cautious capex programmes by major miners there, due to the global crisis, could see the prices of Indonesian coal rising in the coming months, according to a research by Citigroup.

Supply tightness is also expected to persist globally as export growth in both Australia and South Africa will be restricted due to port and rail infrastructure development. In the latter market, growing domestic demand, too, is likely to have an impact on thermal coal prices, an analysis by AME Mineral Economics suggested.

Moreover, thermal coal prices will also lent a degree of robustness as China, a study by Barclays Capital says, is likely to remain a major importer next year on the back of mine consolidation, expectation of a strong economic growth and possibility of higher taxes. In recent weeks, an increase in heating demand in China, triggered by the harshest winter in almost six decades, have spiked coal prices at Qinhuangdao port.

“Considering almost half of the coal requirement for the new coastal power projects is to be brought in from abroad, there will definitely be an impact on power companies. Although the cost of generation will increase, passing on the burden to the consumer will be tough and it will have to be absorbed by the generators themselves,” Angel Broking analyst Rupesh Sankhe said.

Although power companies have been allocated coal blocks for captive use, exploration and production from these might not happen immediately. Also, with many firms scouting for coal assets overseas, there is a dependence on spot purchases in the short-term.

“Larger players who have already secured assets abroad are unlikely to be affected and their consumers will not be hit if global coal prices rise. However, those firms who don’t have their own mines and are dependent on the market will have to bear the brunt,” Visa Group Chairman Vishambhar Saran said.

Although India has substantial non-coking coal reserves, in the range of 230 billion tonnes, there has been an increased reliance on imported coal. In 2007-08, the country imported about 28 million tonnes of non-coking coal as compared to 8.69 million tonnes in 2003-04. However, according to Citigroup estimates, India could have a combined import demand for thermal and coking coal to the tune of 140 million tonnes per year by 2013-14.