mjunction to organise 12th Indian Coal Markets Conference

The theme of the conference has been chosen as “Indian Coal: The Return of Shortage.”

The Indian coal sector is passing through a crucial juncture, wherein high production growth is running parallel to high shortage.

The conference will present an open forum for policymakers and domain experts to discuss these issues and find solutions to the growth hurdles.

Commenting on the coal conference, mjunction CEO Vinaya Varma said, “Going forward, we can only expect an increase in coal demand on the back of increased industrial activity and GDP growth, which means greater demand for power. And to meet this demand, we are already seeing an increase in import volumes after a respite of about two years and this trend is likely to become more prominent in future. Captive mining has seen a setback in recent years. Given these factors, it is likely that commercial mining will be looked at proactively. Renewable energy, on the other hand, may pose a threat to the future growth of independent power producers, and compel them to become more competitive. Thus, the onus of keeping thermal power viable will be on the coal sector, for its own sustenance."

“In this context, the 12th Indian Coal Markets Conference will provide a platform for the policymakers, industry and other stakeholders to brainstorm on the way forward, for the coal industry and the economy as a whole, but with minimal impact on the existing structures,” Varma said.

mjunction in association with the Argusmedia.com, will also host the Indian Coal Markets Award Night where service providers will be felicitated under various categories such as: Coal importer of the year, Coal transporter of the year, Coal producers of the year, Coal port performer of the year and others.

Sponsored by eminent service providers in the industry like Xcoal, Tata Steel, SAIL, SGS, KCT and others, the conference will be a platform to learn directly from delegates and experienced personnel about the present scenario and future prospect of the coal industry.

Some of the most eminent speakers at the event will be A K Jha, Chairman-cum-managing director, Coal India Ltd (CIL); Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee, Secretary General, Indian Steel Association (ISA); Partha S Bhattacharyya, former chairman, Coal India Ltd (CIL); N C Jha, Advisor, SAIL, & former chairman, CIL; P Saidev, ED, RMD, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL); Supriyo Gupta, VP, SBI Caps;

The three day conference has been divided into nine sessions which will be addressed by the various speakers on the following topics:

·         Will the Government go ahead with its plan to introduce commercial mining?

·         Will the power plants continue to face shortage?

·         The return of imports: Can India ever be self-sufficient in coal?

·         Commercial mining: Will it be a disrupter or a magic bullet?

·         CIL in 2030: The blueprint of India’s coal future

·         Will China’s maritime ambitions and trade frictions impact the global coal matrix?

·         India’s steel rush: But where is the road map for met coal?

·         What is the best hedge for met coal price volatility?

·         India’s met coke dilemma: Time to review the anti-dumping duty?

·         Optimal coal stock: How to end the blame game between TPPS and miners

·         Quality issues: Will lack of testing infra fail CIL’s new pricing system?

·         Pet coke and India’s cement industry: made for each other?