Coal

Govt proposes board approval, CCO nod for opening coal mines in draft rules

Under the proposed framework, companies engaged in coal mining must obtain prior approval from their Board of Directors before opening any mine, seam or section of a seam

Centre simplifies approval process for exploration of coal, lignite

The coal ministry has revised and simplified the approval process for exploration programmes and geological reports related to coal and lignite blocks, a move aimed at enhancing ease of doing business and giving a fillip to efficient and sustainable exploration. The new process does not require a go-ahead from the government panel set up in 2022 for this purpose. "The Ministry of Coal has reviewed the earlier methodology and simplified the mechanism for approval of exploration programs and Geological Reports (GRs) for coal and lignite blocks prepared by Notified Accredited Prospecting Agencies (APAs) accredited by QCI-NABET and peer-reviewed by another such APA," a statement from the ministry said. The country's increasing energy requirements demand faster, more efficient, and technologically robust exploration of coal and lignite resources. In line with this national imperative, the coal ministry continues to introduce progressive reforms that enhance transparency, strengthen priv

ED raids 40 locations in Jharkhand, West Bengal against coal mafia

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches in a coordinated money laundering case action against the coal mafia in Jharkhand and West Bengal, official sources said. More than 40 premises in the two states are being covered as part of the action under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. In Jharkhand, the agency is covering about 18 locations as part of the investigation related to coal theft and smuggling. According to the sources, locations of entities named Anil Goyal, Sanjay Udhyog, L B Singh, and Amar Mandal are being covered. The collective scale of the case involves significant coal pilferage and theft, resulting in a massive financial loss to the government worth hundreds of crores of rupees, the sources said. In West Bengal, about 24 premises in Durgapur, Purulia, Howrah and Kolkata districts are being covered as part of an investigation into alleged illegal mining, transportation and storage of coal, they said.

Govt invites applications for quality audit as Coal Exchange takes shape

Coal ministry has issued an RFQ to empanel third-party agencies for sampling and quality audits for coal and lignite traded on the upcoming Coal Exchange, marking a key regulatory step in the rollout

South Eastern Coalfields launches Coal India's first paste filling project

This marks a significant step towards safe, eco-friendly underground mining practices. SECL has coal mines in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh

NTPC to foray into coal gasification with 5-10 MT annual production goal

The state-run power giant aims to produce up to 10 million tonnes of synthetic gas annually at $10-$12 per mmBtu, while also expanding its nuclear energy capacity to 30 GW by 2047

Govt issues framework to settle compensation for cancelled coal mines

The Ministry of Coal has finalised a valuation process for firms whose coal blocks were cancelled in 2014, marking a key step in resolving compensation claims for 62 mines across seven states

ISRO inks MoU to map coal fires and land subsidence in Jharia Coalfield

ISRO has said that it has signed a tripartite agreement with Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited to map coal fire in Jharia Coalfield. According to the ISRO, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed on October 15 on 'Delineation of surface coal fire and associated land subsidence in Jharia Coalfield (2025-27), Jharkhand, using satellite-based Remote sensing techniques'. "In this study, National Remote Sensing Centre, an arm of the ISRO, will use artificial intelligence-based techniques to map coal fires using Thermal Infrared (TIR) and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) remote sensing data on quarterly basis in Jharia Coalfield," the space agency said in a statement. In addition, SAR interferometric technique will be used to identify land subsidence in Jharia Coalfield on annual basis, using data from NISAR and Sentinel-1 satellites, the statement read. The agency said that the results of the satellite-based analysis will be jointly validated on

Coal exchange rules to be finalised by November-end: Coal Secretary

The draft rules for the country's proposed coal exchange will be finalised by the end of November after examining feedback received from the public, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said on Thursday. "The draft coal exchange rules are in the public domain. Comments have come, and we are examining those. The rules will be finalised by the end of November," Dutt told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia Mining Congress here. The proposed coal exchange aims to bring transparency, efficiency and a market-driven mechanism to domestic coal trading. According to the draft rules, the coal controller organisation (CCO) will be appointed to register and regulate the coal exchanges to be established in the country. The Ministry of Coal had invited comments from stakeholders by mid-October. On the disinvestment front, Dutt said the process for Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) and Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDIL) has made significant progress. "We have moved ahead in this

Govt removes green clearance for pilot projects on coal gasification

The government on Wednesday said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has agreed to do away with the green clearance for pilot projects for underground coal gasification. The development assumes significance as government targets to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030. "Any underground coal gasification (UCG) project before it actually takes off means to have a pilot study done. Since it's a new technology or it will be done for the first time in the country, a pilot phase is necessary. "It is part of the framework and for that pilot phase MoEFCC has kind of agreed to not have an EC (environment clearance) for the pilot phase only," Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the 14th round of commercial coal mine auctions. He further said of the 41 coal blocks that are being put out for sale, 21 are suitable for UCG because generally they are deep seated and are uneconomical to extract. UCG gasifies deep, unmine

Putin speaks on oil, gas, coal and nuclear at Russian Energy Week

Russia maintains its position as a leading oil producer, despite unfair competition being used against us, Putin said

Govt pitches for sector-specific CSR framework for coal companies

The government on Tuesday stressed on the need for a corporate social responsibility framework for companies operating in the coal sector to serve as a guide to promote responsible and sustainable practices. The move also aims at reducing environmental impact and enhancing stakeholder engagement among private as well as public sector coal companies. "Given the growing presence of private players in the sector, a need has been felt for a sector-specific CSR framework for coal companies," the coal ministry said in a statement. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies of coal PSUs have been formulated within the policy directives provided under the Companies Act, 2013, the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 and guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises (DPE). Over the years, coal PSUs have taken remarkable initiatives in the areas of health, education, environment, sanitation, sports, etc. The coal ministry organised a stakeholders' consultation to deliberate upon CSR

States sign more coal deals to meet projected power demand surge

Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, and eastern Assam state, which recently withdrew incentives for clean energy projects

Govt invites bids for coal gasification projects under ₹8,500-cr scheme

The coal ministry has launched the second round of financial incentives, offering Rs 2,366 crore to support coal and lignite gasification projects and promote cleaner coal use

Private coal power producers urge easing curbs on Chinese equipment

In 2021, India's Ministry of Power mandated the use of homemade equipment under its "Make in India" initiative, which sought to bolster local manufacturing

Trump admin opens more land for coal, offers $625 mn for plant upgrades

The Trump administration said Monday it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide USD 625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to reverse the year-long decline in the US coal industry. Actions by the Energy and Interior departments and the Environmental Protection Agency follow executive orders Trump issued in April to revive coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that's long been shrinking amid environmental regulations and competition from cheaper natural gas. Environmental groups denounced announcement, which come as the Trump administration has clamped down on renewable energy, including freezing permits for offshore wind projects, ending clean energy tax credits and blocking wind and solar projects on federal lands. Under Trump's orders, the Energy Department has required fossil-fuelled power plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania to keep operating past their retirement date

Ministry issues draft rules allowing CCO to regulate proposed coal exchange

The government has come out with draft rules to form an organisation to regulate the functioning of the proposed coal exchange that will facilitate the trading of coal as a commodity. The proposed Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) will be a subordinate office of the coal ministry. Its responsibilities include coal mine closure activities to ensure environmental sustainability, collecting and disseminating coal statistics, inspecting collieries, issuing directives on coal grades, and acting as an appellate authority for grade-related disputes. "Ministry of coal proposes to appoint the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) to register and regulate the coal exchange(s) to be established in the country," says the draft coal exchange rules, 2025 on which the ministry has invited comments from stakeholders by mid-October. The operations of the coal exchange would broadly be government by the regulations made by CCO. The draft further said that the recent policy reforms in the coal sector h

GST reforms to lower tax on coal, reduce power generation cost, says govt

The government on Thursday said that the GST reforms will bring down the overall tax on coal and reduce the cost of power generation. Earlier, coal attracted 5 per cent GST along with a compensation cess of Rs 400 per tonne. The GST Council has recommended the removal of the GST Compensation cess and an increase in the GST rate on coal from 5 per cent to 18 per cent. The new reforms bring down the overall tax on coal grades G6 to G17, which is in the range of Rs 13.40 per tonne to Rs 329.61 per ton. "The average reduction for the power sector is Rs 260 per tonne, which will reduce the cost of generation by 17 to 18 paise/kWh," the coal ministry said in a statement. The reforms will also help in rationalisation of tax burden on coal vis- -vis its pricing. Earlier, a flat rate of Rs 400 per tonne was imposed as GST compensation cess without considering coal quality. This disproportionately affected low-quality and low-priced coal. For example, G-11 non-coking coal, which is the majo

Best of BS Opinion: India's tariff woes will need careful handling

Today's Opinion Page is dominated by the issue of US tariffs, and what India can do to mitigate its effects. How will it impact India's GDP, and is turning to China really a wise call. Read on.

India's coal imports rise 1.5% to 76.4 MT in Q1FY26 despite domestic push

The country's coal import rose 1.5 per cent to 76.40 million tonnes in the April-June period of the current fiscal, compared to 75.26 MT in the year-ago period, even as the government pushes to ramp up domestic production of the fossil fuel. The country's coal import in June also increased to 23.91 million tonnes (MT) over 22.97 MT in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal, according to mjunction Services Ltd, a B2B e-commerce platform and a joint venture between Tata Steel and SAIL. During April-June, non-coking coal imports were at 49.08 MT, almost flat compared to 49.12 MT imported during the same period in the previous fiscal. Coking coal import was at 16.37 MT during April-June 2025, up against 15.45 MT recorded for April-June 2024. Of the total imports in June, non-coking coal imports stood at 14.85 MT, against 14.19 MT imported in June last year. Coking coal import stood at 5.78 MT, against 5.45 MT imported in June 2024. State-owned CIL's coal production dropped by