Coal Industry

State-owned Coal India Limited is absorbing rising input costs to protect consumers from higher coal prices, even as expenses for key inputs, such as explosives and industrial diesel, have surged sharply following the West Asia conflict. The company said it has chosen not to pass on the increase, warning that doing so could trigger a cascading impact across sectors reliant on coal. It is also compensating contractors operating in its mines for higher diesel costs. Prices of ammonium nitrate - a key component accounting for about 60 per cent of explosives used in opencast mining - have risen 44 per cent to Rs 72,750 per tonne as of April 1 from pre-war levels. This has pushed up the average cost of explosives by around 26 per cent to nearly Rs 49,800 per tonne by end-March. Coal India's subsidiaries consume about 0.9 million tonnes of explosives annually. This entire cost is being absorbed by Coal India, the company said. Diesel prices have also surged, rising roughly 54 per cent t

CIL said that any pass-through of these rising input costs could have a cascading effect on the economy, particularly on power and industrial users dependent on coal

New norms aim to boost syngas production from coal and lignite through gasification technology, while ensuring minimal surface impact, scientific planning, and regulatory compliance

Operations stalled since April 2 at ABOCP mine in Dhanbad as BCCL alleges illegal disruption by local persons and files FIR; production and dispatch activities remain halted

State-owned Coal India Ltd plans to offer 25.62 million tonnes of coal through online auction in the current month, a move expected to mitigate the impact of energy supply shocks on industries amid the West Asia crisis. The disruptions in LNG, LPG and crude oil supplies from the Middle East have increased demand for coal, driving up its import prices. Coal India had offered 32.532 million tonnes of coal through e-auction in March against 20.5 million tonnes in February this year. The state-run coal producer plans to offer coal through the Single Window Mode Agnostic (SWMA) auction. SWMA auction is a unified, simplified e-auction system launched in 2022 to consolidate multiple existing auction windows (Spot, Special Spot, Forward) into a single platform, making coal procurement easier, more transparent, and market-driven for all buyers. According to Coal India Ltd's SWMA auction calender, Coal India subsidiary Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) plans to put on offer 2 million tonnes (MT),

BCGCL and MCL sign a land agreement for India's first indigenous coal gasification project in Odisha, aimed at boosting energy security and reducing import dependence

Coal India will invest Rs 3,300 crore to set up eight coking coal washeries by FY2030, aiming to improve coal quality, reduce imports and support domestic steel production

The Power Ministry is believed to have directed imported coal-based thermal plants to operate at full capacity for three months from April 1, to avoid any electricity shortage amid the estimated peak demand of 270GW during this summer. Sources said that in letters sent to imported coal-based plants in the country, the power ministry invoked Section 11 of the Electricity Act, asking them to run at full capacity. The step has been taken to ensure optimal power availability, considering the prevailing demand-supply scenario and the expected rise in electricity demand in the coming months, according to the letter. The ministry has estimated the peak power demand to be over 270GW during this summer season (April onwards). However, during last summer (April 2025 onwards), the peak power demand was 242.77 GW in June, 2025. According to government estimates, peak power demand was expected to touch 277 GW in the summer of 2025. The peak power demand touched an all-time high of about 250 G

Union Minister for coal and mines G Kishan Reddy on Sunday said coal gasification will play an important role in strengthening India's energy security, reducing imports and supporting industrial growth. This push has gained urgency amid the West Asia conflict, which has driven up global energy prices. He was speaking during the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026. Describing coal gasification as a key transformative technology, he said it converts coal into Syngas, which can be further used to produce cleaner fuels, chemicals, fertilizers, and hydrogen. This approach enables more efficient and sustainable use of domestic resources while enhancing economic resilience. He also pointed out India's dependence on imports, approximately 83 per cent of crude oil, 50 per cent of natural gas, and over 90 per cent of methanol and fertilizers, making energy security a strategic priority. To promote adoption, the Centre has launched the National Coal Gasification Mission with a target of 100 mill

The government on Thursday asserted that India's domestic coal production is steadily matching consumer demands, with state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) implementing robust measures to secure uninterrupted dry fuel for all sectors, amid escalating tensions in West Asia. As a proactive step, CIL, which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output, has planned 29 e-auctions in the current month, offering about 23.56 million tonnes (MT) of coal. "Out of these 29 auctions, 5 auctions have already been conducted since March 12, 2026, wherein 73.1 lakh tonnes of coal were offered, and 31.96 lakh tonnes of coal have been booked, indicating adequacy of coal offered in the e-auctions," the coal ministry said in a statement. In addition to this, CIL has also taken necessary action to ensure coal availability to the small, medium and other consumers through the State Nominated Agencies (SNAs) route and requested the State governments to provide the additional coal requirement, which can

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

Draft amendments to mining agreements introduce stricter milestone schedules and performance security provisions to fast-track commercial and captive coal mine development

Government offers 11 blocks of critical and deep-seated minerals across eight states under Exploration Licence regime to boost domestic mineral exploration

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

The budget numbers released on Sunday peg the railways earning at Rs 2.78 trillion in the current financial year, according to the revised estimates (RE), against a BE target of Rs 3.01 trillion

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

NTPC will set up its coal-to-synthetic natural gas facility in Chhattisgarh at an investment of around Rs 10,000 crore, a senior company official said. The company is looking for technology tie-ups for various processes, like coal beneficiation and gasification, to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG), the official said, requesting anonymity. NTPC will look to produce SNG at a cost of around USD 12 million British thermal unit (MMBTU). In October 2025, NTPC announced signing an agreement with Engineers India Limited (EIL) to develop a coal-to-synthetic natural gas (SNG) facility. The energy giant had not disclosed any details of the proposed project, including the location. It said the facility would utilise high-ash Indian coal from the company's captive mines. NETRA, the R&D wing of NTPC, is actively leading the initiative under its broader vision of 'greening the coal' and advancing carbon capture and utilisation technologies. As per the official, the project will be set up at

Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, is set to open its initial public offering on January 9, marking the first public issue of 2026. The initial public offering (IPO) will be closely tracked by the Dalal Street as an early gauge of investor appetite for public sector undertakings (PSUs) in the new year. According to the red herring prospectus (RHP), the maiden public issue, entirely an offer for sale (OFS) of 46.57 crore equity shares by Coal India Ltd (CIL), will close on January 13, while anchor investor bidding is scheduled for January 8. The proposed listing of BCCL is part of the government's broader divestment push in the coal sector, aimed at unlocking value in Coal India's subsidiaries and enhancing transparency through market discipline. The company will announce key details, such as price band, lot size and issue structure, on January 5. Last year, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDIL), another wholly-owned arm of

India's coal imports, which jumped 28.1 per cent in November, is expected is see a decline in the coming months on account of increased availability of domestic resources, according to industry data. Imports in November rose to 25.07 million tonnes (MT) as against 19.57 MT imported in November 2024, according to data compiled by mjunction services ltd, a B2B e-commerce platform and joint venture of SAIL and Tata Steel. "There was an uptick in volumes in November mainly due to winter restocking by steel mills. Also, some buyers took fresh positions as seaborne prices remained weak. In coming months, however, we expect to see a drop in imports due to increased domestic availability," mjunction MD & CEO Vinaya Varma said. Of the total imports in November 2025, non-coking coal import stood at 14.28 MT, higher than 12.32 MT imported in November last fiscal year. Coking coal import stood at 6.51 MT, compared to 4.25 MT recorded for the same month last financial year. Coal import in the

Currently, overseas consumers access Coal India's coal only through Indian traders