Petcoke ban in Delhi-NCR to boost coal imports amid tight market

A ban on petroleum coke around the Indian capital of New Delhi starting from Wednesday will require the country to raise its imports of coal to replace the fuel, just as Asia is heading into the tightest market conditions for coal in years.

India's annual demand for petroleum coke, an energy-intensive fuel that emits harmful sulphur oxides and ample carbon dioxide when burned, has doubled to 27 million tonnes in the past four years. The country imports about 14 million tonnes annually, mainly from the United States.

Its use was banned around New Delhi to rein in pollution.

The country's environmentalists are trying