India's coal imports surged 53 percent to 35.47 million mt in the first half of the year

India's coal utility coal imports in the first half of 2019 increased by 53.
4% year-on-year to 35.
47 million mt
, according to data provided by India's Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

India's demand for seaborne coal imports has increased
due to rapid population growth and the availability of alternative fuels such as natural gas.

Power plant imports from Mundra Port in the western Indian state of Gujarat accounted for 42%
of India's total utility imports in the first half of 2019.

Adani Power's Mundra plant imports more than quadrupled from a year earlier to 9.
01 million tonnes, while Tata Power's coal imports rose 6 percent to 6.
07 million tonnes.

Power plants were forced to cut imports and cut power generation
after coal supplier Indonesia raised coal prices after a court barred them from raising prices for customers in 2016.

NTPC, India's largest power generation company, shipped 1.
4 million mt of coal to ports in the six months to June 2019, about 11 times
the amount imported a year ago.

Coal is one of India's top five commodities to import, with about three-fifths of thermal coal imported from Indonesia and nearly one-sixth
imported from South Africa.

After two consecutive years of decline, thermal coal imports recovered rapidly in 2018
.
Indian utilities are importing more coal
.

Higher Indian coal imports are a boon
for international mining companies such as Indonesia's Adaro Energy, U.
S.
coal miner Peabody and global commodity traders such as Glencore.