India has sent its first export consignment of coal to Bangladesh’s Rampal power plant, after Coal India Limited (CIL) policy amendment in June 2021allowed traders to export coal obtained from e-auction. …
The first coal-laden rake of around 4,000 tonne was sent to Bangladesh on July 2, 2021 to the 1,320 MW Rampal thermal power station in Khulna. The coal exported was of below 2,200 gross calorific value (GCV) and it was purchased under spot e-auction from Dahibari siding of Bharat Coking Coal Limited. The Rampal project would further require about 20,000 tonne of Indian coal per month, once the plant is in its full operation.CIL’s amended e-auction sale policy allows the overseas sale of coal bought under spot e-auction and special spot e-auction by domestic coal purchasers including traders.The export of Indian coal is expected to benefit the Indian power companies executing thermal power projects overseas, as majority of such projects will thus depend less on other coal exporting countries like Indonesia and South Africa, whose prices are generally volatile.