CIL targets 435 MT coal output

Coal major Coal India Limited (CIL), which meets 85 per cent of the nation’s coal demand, targets to produce 435 million tonne of coal during the current fiscal. This is 7 per cent higher than the last fiscal’s achievement of 403 million tonnes.

Out of the targeted coal output this year, 115 million tonne is expected to be contributed by Mahanadi Coalfield Limited, (MCL), the flagship company of CIL.

According to N.C. Jha, Director (Technical) of CIL, the annual growth target of CIL is rather steep given the rising demand for coal in the nation. By the end of the current plan in 20011-12 the output is targeted at 520 MT.

Detailing strategies adopted to achieve the target for this a year, Jha banked mostly on the implementation of new open cast coal projects. “Sixty five of 134 envisaged new coal projects are under implementation across CIL subsidiaries”, he said, adding, the CIL faced most daunting task in getting timely clearances for environment, forest and land availability. These three things are vital before initiating a new venture; he observed. “Land availability for new project remains as a gigantic task for us’.

The CIL director also informed that there is huge coal stock of 43 MT in CIL companies out of which MCL alone has 17 MT at its pithead. However, an action plan is under way to dismantle the stock as many of the country’s power plants are in a critical state having less than 11 days coal stock. The target for dispatch for the current financial year is fixed at 436 MT, one million tonne more than the targeted output. About 78 per cent of CIL coals are consumed by power sector, Jha added.

Stressing that fuel supply agreements with all consumers are the need of the hour, he said CIL plans such type of agreements with all the State Electricity Boards soon on the line of the one signed with NTPC recently. MCL Directors (technical) A.K.Tiwari and A.k.Singh were present on the occasion. Jha was on a two day tour to MCL mines in Orissa to supervise the production and dispatch networks.