COALspot.com: TNPL to  award 300,000 MT of coal supply contract to Nehel General Trading of India.  Tamil Nadu state undertaking , Tamil Nadu News Print Limited a seasoned and professionally run company to award a spot contract  for six Supramax shipments to Nehel General Trading of India. Nehel Trading was quoted lowest price of US$ 79.53 per ton CIF Tuticorin / Ennore for Calorific value of 6000 kcal/kg GAD and Total Moisture 15% (arb), against TNPL’s recent coal tender, industry sources said.

Indonesian coal likely to be supplied to TNPL against the recent tender.  There were Ten Indian coal trading companies were qualified to participate  in  the recent tender calling for 300,000 mt of imported coal. TNPL used to source coal from a combination of E- Tender and closed tender which they have been successfully doing for the past several years.  Bidders in the recent tender were MSTC, Star Coal, Phoenix, Coastal Energy, Nehel General trading, Adani, Rudhra Energy, Knowledge Infrastructure, Gupta coal and Bhatia International. Nehel was quoted at US$ 79.53 per ton CIF Tuticorin / Ennore and followed by Adani at US$ 79.62 per ton just 9 US cents higher than Nehel's price. However, the 3rd lowest price was around US$ 10 higher than the  first two lowest bidders, industry players further said.

Indonesian coal prices are expected to Increase in next month due to tight availability because of unseasonal rains affected coal producing areas in Indonesia, according to Indonesia coal Mining Association. “The freight market is expected to remain firm for next couple of weeks, as the iron ore movement is likely to increase”, said Capt. Reddy, Director of Vistaar Shipping, a ship operator in Singapore and India. Hence coal prices on FOB as well as CNF are seem to be increased coming weeks.

There was a rumors in the market that, TNPL was buying coal through the reccent tender on behalf of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, the Tamil Nadu state owned electricity generator. This is further evidenced by TNPL’s tender documents mentions that disport may be Ennore or Tuticorin. TNEB used to unload the cargo through Ennore port and TNPL used to be receiving cargo either Tuticorin or Karaikkal port. Also market sources point out that MMTC, Indian government owned trading house,  was a long-term sole supplier of TNEB, couldn’t provide supplies due to delay in MMTC’s EoI finalization formalities.

However, the recent calling of 300,000 ton of coal supply tender by TNPL is for TNEB or not is unknown. 

Also the Indian trade sources says that if TNPL supplies coal to TNEB then EB would get fair prices and coal bill of EB may give relief to EB which overburdened with losses. MMTC used to supply coal to EB on index plus basis which resulted recent shipments at $100 plus whereas TNPL was successfully purchased millions of tones on firm price basis and always got lowest prices compared to other power utilities in India.

We further understand from trade circles that,  TNEB’s PSU enquiry ( MMTC, STC, MSTC and PEC ) was floated few days back and be closes by 16th August 2010. Trade circles are eagerly watching for the results. In addition, they said whether the latest TNPL tender price of US$ 79.53 has any impact or reflection to TNEB’s new inquiry which TNEB was calling for 500 k MT coal supplies through PSUs.

It looks that consumers in india are getting wiser and consolidating their requirements and enhancing their capabilities of bargaining.

About TNPL
Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) was established by the Government of Tami Nadu during early eighties to produce Newsprint and Printing & Writing Paper using bagasse, a sugarcane residue, as primary raw material. The Company commenced production in the year 1984 with an initial capacity of 90,000 tonnes per annum. Over the years, the production capacity has been increased to 245,000 tonnes per annum and the Company has emerged as the largest bagasse based Paper Mill in the world consuming about one million tones of bagasse every year. The co is swapping other private units bagasse with supply of equivalent coal. There by tthe additional supplies of bagasse being put to use for high value bagasse pulp used for paper. By this process tnpl is saving huge forex and developing by leaps and bounds.this model of tnpl has been well appreciated by intll industrial circles. The Company is in the process of implementing the Mill Expansion Plan for increasing the capacity to 400,000 tonnes per annum from July