India’s 12 major government-owned ports handled 49.2 million mt of thermal coal over April-September, dipping 4.7% from around 51.6 million mt in the corresponding period a year ago, according to latest data released by the Indian Ports Association Wednesday.

Coking coal shipments received by the 12 ports in the first half of the current fiscal year 2016-17 (April-March) were largely flat, at 24.4 million mt, from 24.3 million mt in the year-ago period, the data showed.

Paradip port on the east coast handled the highest volume of thermal coal during the six-month period at 13.9 million mt, down 6% from a year ago.

Kolkata port, also on east coast, handled the highest coking coal shipments in the April-September period at around 6.4 million mt, down by 17% from the same period a year ago.

The 12 ports are Kolkata, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Ennore, Chennai, VO Chidambaranar (Tuticorin), Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Kandla.

Source: Platts