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India imported 265 million tonnes (mt) of coal worth ₹3.1 trillion in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24), an increase of 11.3 per cent from 238 mt worth ₹3.8 trillion a year ago.
The FY24 import included 59 mt of coking coal and 205 mt of non-coking coal worth ₹1.33 trillion, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Wednesday.
In FY23, the imports of coking and non-coal coal in the country was 56 mt and 182 mt, respectively.
India, the second-largest producer of coal and the largest importer of coking coal, is trying to increase domestic coking coal production to 140 mt by FY30 and reduce dependency on imports for its power sector.
The country majorly imports coal from Indonesia and some of the coal from Australia.
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The Coal India Limited supplied 352,484 tonnes of imported coal worth ₹4.93 crore to nine state generating companies (Gencos) and independent power producers (IPPs), including KSK Mahanadi, Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd, Rattan India Power between September 2022 and January 23, Reddy said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
NLC Tamil Nadu Power Ltd. (NTPL), a subsidiary company of NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL), which operates 2x500 MW Thermal Power station in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu is currently procuring imported coal, and NLCIL imported 826,440 tonnes worth ₹7.88 crore in 2024-25 against 365,896 tonnes of coal worth ₹2.9 billion a year ago.
NTPL is procuring HGCV import coal having GCV 5800 kcal per kg for blending purposes only with low domestic coal of GCV 3250 kcal a kg in the ratio of 30:70, respectively.
According to the current import policy, coal import is under the Open General License (OGL) and consumers are free to import coal from the source of their choice as per their contractual prices on payment of applicable duties.
In a press briefing last month, the coal minister informed that between April and November 2024, coal imports declined by 5.35 per cent, saving approximately $3.91 billion, and coal imports for domestic power plant blending fell by 23.56 per cent. In FY24, India produced 997.8 mt of coal, an increase of 11.7 per cent from a year ago.
To increase production and reduce import dependency, the ministry in 2020 introduced commercial coal mine auctions. As of January, the coal ministry allotted 184 mines, with 65 blocks receiving mine opening permissions. Total production from these blocks reached 136.59 mt, registering a 34.20 per cent year-on-year increase. This is expected to exceed the 170 mt target in FY25 and 210 mt of coal is likely to come from commercial mines in FY26.
Business Standard on Sunday reported a coal stock of 50 mt has been built up at thermal power plants (TPPs) and for the next financial year, coal demand is projected to reach 906 mt.
To further enhance supply efficiency, the ministry launched the first mile connectivity (FMC) initiative, commissioning 39 projects with a total capacity of 386 MTPA, according to an official statement.
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