Coal

From rising oil pressures and coal gasification to urban housing reform and RBI policy, today's BS Opinion explores the economic and structural challenges shaping India's future

Coal production has commenced at the Urtan and Dhirauli mines in Madhya Pradesh, boosting domestic coal supply and supporting India's energy security goals

Today's BS Opinion wrap looks at gold imports and forex pressures, judicial infrastructure gaps, financing the Viksit Bharat dream, coal gasification, and Japan's wartime history

Company aims to complete financial closure and place EPC orders for the first phase of its Maharashtra coal gasification project by December 2026

Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), where coal is converted in situ without mining, is being piloted in Jharkhand

India's reliance on domestic coal and rapid renewable energy expansion could shield it from global power tariff shocks, even as fuel prices surge amid the West Asia conflict

Coal demand in India is rising as the West Asia crisis disrupts gas supplies, prompting higher auctions by Coal India and pushing industries to reconsider fuel choices amid tightening energy markets

"The utilisation of coal from the Jharkhand block will reduce the cost of power generation, thereby ensuring affordable and uninterrupted power supply to Uttar Pradesh," a senior official said

The Centre has directed states to prevent small coal retailers from profiteering from the West Asia crisis, as global energy disruptions threaten to ripple into domestic fuel markets. Talking with reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said, "Our secretary (coal) has talked to Chief Secretaries of all states. I have written letters to Chief Ministers yesterday. There is no coal shortage and there is no scope for an increase in domestic coal prices". The minister further said that if coal prices increase, it is the responsibility of the state governments to take action. "We have asked states to keep an eye on coal prices and not let the retailers of coal profit from the ongoing crisis.. The Prime Minister has clearly instructed that coal prices should not increase, and therefore the government has taken proactive measures. "No decision has been taken on increasing coal prices. Coal prices should not increase," the minister explained. Th

Urban fuel restrictions and global LPG supply shocks have left nearly 30,000 vendors facing collapse of their livelihoods

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia threatening global energy supplies, the government on Wednesday said it is fully prepared to meet any unprecedented surge in coal demand, with overall coal stocks at about 210 million tonne -- adequate for around 88 days. This year, coal production and supply have outpaced consumption, leading to record-high stocks at thermal power plants and coal mines. Supplies to the non-regulated sector are up nearly 14 per cent over the previous year. Pithead coal stocks at mines of Coal India Ltd (CIL) stood at 106.78 million tonne (MT) on April 1, 2025, rising to 121.39 MT as of March 9 this year. Further, there is around 6.07 MT of coal at the mines of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), another 15.12 MT at captive, commercial mines, and about 14 MT in transit, totalling 156.58 MT, the highest ever. This stock is in addition to the coal which is already available at power plants, which is around 54.05 MT as on March 9, 2026, adequate for near

India has invoked emergency provisions and declared force majeure, reprioritising natural gas supplies to key sectors such as households and fertiliser plants

Niti Aayog's Net Zero reports project coal demand rising till 2047 even as India scales up clean energy, electrifies industry and transport, and targets net zero emissions by 2070

Under the current policy scenario - which assumes no major new decarbonisation measures - coal demand is expected to peak at 2.62 billion metric tons in 2050, more than double the current 1.26 billion

State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) on Thursday announced a major milestone, having despatched about 375 million tonnes of coal through the rail mode, all sampled by third-party sampling agencies (TPSAs), till December of the current fiscal. The achievement underscores CIL's enhanced focus on quality assurance and supply chain reliability amid rising domestic demand for coal, which powers a chunk of the country's electricity generation. This volume highlights the success of third-party sampling protocols mandated by the government to ensure unbiased quality checks, bring down disputes with power plants and check pilferage. "Till December FY 2026, CIL has despatched about 375 million tonnes (MTs) of coal through rail mode which was sampled by TPSAs," the company said in a filing to BSE. Of this, half of the despatches were made through silos where the installed auto mechanical samplers ensured high standards of coal quality process control. The coal behemoth is aiming to increase this

The three projects are expected to create around 66,248 direct and indirect employment opportunities, fostering livelihood generation and regional development in the coal-bearing areas

State-owned BHEL on Thursday said it has secured an order from Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited for coal gasification and raw syngas cleaning facilities for coal-to-ammonium nitrate project at Jharsuguda, Odisha. Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) is a joint venture company of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Ltd (CIL). The order covers engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and performance guarantee of the coal gasification and raw syngas cleaning facilities, which form the core process units of the integrated chemical complex. The scope of work includes the gasifier and associated auxiliaries, steam generation plant, air separation unit, coal and ash handling systems, and cooling tower facilities. The project will deploy BHEL's in-house developed Pressurised Fluidised Bed Gasification (PFBG) technology and marks its first commercial-scale application.

Five companies bid for coal blocks for the first time as the 14th round of commercial coal auctions drew 49 bids for 24 blocks, signalling continued private interest in mining

Under the draft framework, the applicant must be a demutualised company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013

Under the draft framework, the applicant must be a demutualised company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013