Page 2 - Coal Production

Western Coalfields faces flat coal production at 69 MT amid challenges

Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has projected flat coal production at 69 million tonne in FY'25, mirroring last year's output, as it grapples with operational and pricing challenges. Despite achieving its highest-ever coal production of 69.113 million tonne in FY24, reflecting a 7.5 per cent growth, WCL anticipates no growth this fiscal or the next due to limited reserves, adverse geo-mining conditions, and escalating production costs, a top company official said. "Our total production for FY'25 will remain around 69 million tonne, similar to last year. Despite our best efforts, we expect production to remain flat next fiscal as well due to unique mining and pricing challenges," WCL Chairman and Managing Director Jai Prakash Dwivedi said. The Nagpur-headquartered company operates 52 mines, including 19 underground and 33 open-cast mines, across 10 areas in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. WCL produced 45.1 million tonne of coal between April and December, .

CIL arms BCCL, SECL report decline in coal production in Apr-Dec period

State-owned CIL's subsidiaries Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) and South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) registered a decline in coal production in the April-December period of the current financial year. While coal production of BCCL dropped by 2.6 per cent, in case of SECL the fossil fuel output declined by 9.4 per cent, Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a regulatory filing. However, other subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd like Northern Coalfields Ltd, Eastern Coalfield Ltd (ECL), Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) and Western Coalfields Ltd registered a growth in coal production in April-December period of the ongoing fiscal, the filing said. Coal India's production in the April-December period was 543.4 million tonnes (MT), against 531.9 MT in the year-ago period. In December coal production by the maharatna firm was at 72.4 MT, as against 71.9 MT of coal produced in the corresponding month of previous fiscal. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. The company has set

Private mines, CIL drive record coal output of 988 mt in 2024: Govt

Coal production from captive and commercial mines was 162 MT between January and November 2024, the ministry said

India extends mandate for imported coal plants to run at full capacity

India's coal-fired power output had fallen for a second straight month in September due to slower growth in electricity use and a surge in solar generation

India's coal-power plant growth holds near five-year high at 4 GW in 2024

India's dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuel will likely continue for years, despite plans for the rapid deployment of clean power capacity

SECL registers negative growth in coal production for 4th successive month

The Chhattisgarh-based firm produced 13.3 million tonne (MT) coal in November, which is 9.9 per cent less than 14.8 MT produced during the corresponding period of last year

Thermal coal imports plunge by 31% in Oct on slow power generation

Indian shipments of the fuel used mainly for power generation have been tracking the trajectory of growth in shipments by top importer China over the last year, shoring up international prices

Coal ministry 'optimistic' about achieving production target of over 170 MT

The government on Saturday expressed optimism that it will achieve the production target of more than 170 million tonnes from captive and commercial coal blocks in the ongoing fiscal year. The production from captive, commercial mines from April 1 to November rose 33 per cent to 100.08 MT over 75.05 MT in the year-ago period, the coal ministry said in a statement. The total dispatch from captive, commercial coal mines during the period rose to 107.81 MT from 80.23 MT, it said. "The coal ministry is optimistic about reaching a production target of more than 170 million tonnes from captive and commercial coal blocks in 2024-25," the statement said. "The share of captive and commercial coal mines in India's total coal production has been steadily increasing, reflecting the success of reforms in the coal sector and strengthening the nation's path toward self-sufficiency in energy resources," it added.

Coal Minister urges CIL to boost production and reduce import reliance

State-owned CIL's priorities should be to ramp up production of coal and scale up supplies to reduce imports, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has said. Coal India Ltd (CIL) accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. Speaking at CIL's 50th Foundation Day on Sunday, the minister stressed upon the importance of miners' welfare and the rehabilitation of communities affected by mine closures. "Contractual workers play a significant role in Coal India's output, and I applaud the management's decision to implement Performance Linked Incentives for them, effective FY 2023-24," he was quoted as saying in a coal ministry statement. The launch of commercial coal mining has led to transparency, ease of doing business and investment opportunities, helping open the coal sector. Exuding confidence in CIL, he stated that the company has the competency and commitment to compete in the current open market scenario. While coal will remain a central component of the country's energy landsc

Coal production rises 7.4% in October, dispatches increase to 82.89 MT

Coal production rose by 7.4 per cent to 84.45 MT in October compared to 78.57 MT in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal, the Coal Ministry said in a release. Coal production from captive and other entities rose to 16.59 MT in October over 11.70 MT in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal. Coal dispatches witnessed a boost in October reaching 82.89 MT compared to 79.25 MT recorded in October last fiscal. "Coal dispatch from captive and other entities also grew to 16.18 MT in October 2024, compared to 11.83 MT in October 2023, representing growth of 36.83 per cent," the coal ministry said. In the April-October period of 2024-25, India's coal production rose by 6.1 per cent to 537.45 million tonnes (MT) compared to 506.56 MT in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, the coal ministry said. Cumulative coal dispatch during the April-October period rose to 571.39 MT compared to 541.51 MT during the corresponding period in 2023-24. The Centre, the ministry

Can protect Hasdeo while still meeting coal demands: Forest rights activist

The biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Aranya forests in Chhattisgarh -- where hundreds of tribals are protesting against tree felling for coal mining -- can be protected while still meeting India's coal demands, forest rights activist Alok Shukla has asserted. In an interview with PTI, Shukla, who received the Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the 'Green Nobel', this year, said claims that coal mining brings development, and rehabilitation improves people's lives are "misleading". He said when communities protest, it's often because corporations have broken their promises and taken away indigenous people's rights and livelihoods. "This has created massive distrust. No community wants to give up its land to greedy corporations, and the government must understand this," Shukla, who has been leading the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, a community campaign to save the pristine Hasdeo forests since 2012, said. According to central government data, India's coal demand is expected to reach .

Coal production from captive, blocks rises 32% to 79.72 mn MT in H1

The coal production from both captive and commercial coal blocks rose by 32 per cent to 79.72 Million Tonne (MT) in the April-September period of the ongoing fiscal. The coal output from both captive and commercial coal blocks was 60.52 MT in the first half of the previous fiscal. The coal dispatch rose by 34 per cent year-over-year, from 65.37 MT in H1 of FY'24 to 87.86 MT in H1 of FY'25. There has been "a significant rise in coal production and dispatch from both captive and commercial coal blocks during the first half of FY 2024-25, from April 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024, compared to the same period last year," the coal ministry said in a statement. The coal production in September rose by 32 per cent to 13.74 MT from 10.40 MT. Likewise, dispatch in the month of September has grown by 47 per cent year-over-year, from 9.68 MT in FY'24 to 14.27 MT in FY'25. The coal ministry said that it applauds the efforts of all stakeholders, including coal companies and industry partners,

CIL plans to monetise 4 old washeries, aimed at long term supply contract

State-owned Coa India Ltd is exploring options to monetise its four old washeries by leasing out those assets and plans to bundle lease contracts with long-term coal supply agreements. The move aims at optimising asset utilisation. "We are exploring the monetisation of four old washeries," Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a report. The company which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output is diversifying its portfolio by setting up a non-coking coal washery at Ib Valley, Lakhanpur in Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) -- one of the subsidiaries of CIL. The public sector enterprise commissioned the operation of Madhuband Washery having 5 million tonnes of annual capacity during 2023-24 to further enhance coking coal beneficiation capacity. The company is also setting up three new washeries in Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) -- another arm of CIL -- with a total throughput capacity of seven million tonnes per annum. Besides, five coking coal washeries with a total capacity of 14

Coal India production drops marginally by 1% in Sep to 50.9 mn tonne

State-owned CIL's coal production dropped marginally by 1 per cent to 50.9 million tonnes (MT) in September. The coal behemoth, which accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal output, produced 51.4 MT in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal year, Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a filing to the BSE. However, the PSU's coal output in the April-September period of the current fiscal year increased 2.5 per cent to 341.5 MT, over 332.9 MT in the year-ago period. The amount of coal supplied from the pitheads of Coal India dropped to 54.4 MT last month, over 55.2 MT in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal year. However, the coal offtake in the April-September period increased to 366.6 MT, over 360.6 MT in the corresponding period of previous fiscal year. Coal India's production rose 10 per cent to 773.6 million tonnes in 2023-24 but fell short of its production target of 780 MT for the fiscal year. CIL's production was 703.2 MT in the preceding 2022-23 fiscal .

Coal production increases by 6.48% to 384.08 mn tonnes in April-August

The country's coal production rose by 6.48 per cent to 384.08 million tonne (MT) in the first five months of the ongoing fiscal. The production was 360.71 MT in April-August FY24. The figures for the period under review are provisional. The production of CIL, which accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal output, rose to 290.39 MT during April-August FY25, marking a growth of 3.17 per cent year-on-year, the coal ministry said in a statement. Coal production from captive and other entities rose to 68.99 MT in April- August FY25 from 52.84 MT a year ago. The cumulative coal dispatch up to August was at 412.07 MT against 391.93 MT during the same period of FY24.

Coal production increases by 7% to 370.67 mn tonne in April-August

The country's coal production rose by 7.12 per cent to 370.67 million tonne from April to August 25, an official statement said on Tuesday. Coal production was 346.02 MT in the year-ago period. "Ministry of Coal has achieved upswing in overall coal production up to 25th August 2024. The cumulative coal production for 2024-25, as on August 25, 2024, has significantly increased to 370.67 MT, compared to 346.02 MT during the same period in FY 2023-24," it said. The overall coal dispatch was 397.06 MT as on August 25, 2024, in the current financial year, registering year-on-year growth of 5.48 per cent. Coal dispatch to the power sector rose to 325.97 MT from 313.44 MT in the year-ago period. "This ensures a steady supply of coal to meet the energy requirements of the power sector," the statement added. The overall coal stock position, including pitheads at mines, thermal power plants, and in transit, reached 121.57 MT as of August 25, 2024. This represents a substantial increase of

Coal production increases by 6.69% to 74.07 mn tonnes in July: Govt

India's coal output rose by 6.69 per cent year-on-year to 74.07 million tonnes (MT) in July, the government said on Thursday. The country's coal production was 69.42 MT in the corresponding month of previous fiscal, the coal ministry said in a statement. Cumulative coal dispatch witnessed a significant boost in July 2024, touching 79.54 MT, compared to 76.05 MT recorded in July 2023, registering a growth rate of 4.58 per cent. In a separate statement, the ministry said that vesting orders were issued for 10 strategically important coal mines, marking a significant advancement in the nation's coal production capabilities. This initiative, which includes one fully explored and nine partially explored mines, is set to enhance energy security and drive economic growth across the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, it said. Coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy urged the successful bidders to focus on increasing coal production and reducing imports.

India has potential to export 15 mn tonnes coal to its neighbours: Study

India has a potential to export 15 million tonnes of coal to its neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh, according to a study. By promoting exports, increasing domestic production, and facilitating import substitution, the country aims to achieve self-reliance, strengthen energy security and support the growth of the coal sector. "According to a study conducted by IIM Ahmedabad, there may exist potential of exporting 15 MT to the...neighbouring countries," the coal ministry said in a statement. The country has a capacity to export 8 million tonnes (MT) of coal to Bangladesh, 3 MT to Myanmar, 2 MT to Nepal and 2 MT to others. The increased production and export of coal will lead to economic growth, create jobs and generate revenue for the government. The government is actively promoting coal exports to capitalise on the growing global demand for fossil fuels. This initiative aims to position the country as a key player in the international coal market, generating revenue

Advancing 119 projects worth Rs 1,33,576 cr to boost output: Coal India

Coal India Ltd is advancing 119 projects with a capacity of 896 million tonne per year and a sanctioned capital of Rs 1,33,576 crore, the world's largest miner said. These projects, which are at various stages of implementation, are part of CIL's proactive strategy to increase production capacity and meet future coal demands, the company said in its latest annual report. Though the mining major did not specify a timeline for the capex, it said the development of these projects involves substantial investments in advanced mining technologies and infrastructure, aimed at enhancing productivity and ensuring sustainable mining practices. The Kolkata-headquartered company has set an ambitious target of achieving 1 billion tonne of production by 2025-26 to fulfill the nation's coal demand and support the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat'. In the 2023-24 fiscal, its production stood at 773.6 million tonne. CIL said in 2023-24, one coal mining project with a sanctioned capacity of 20 million to

China coal generation share at record low in May as renewables hit highs

Increased renewable generation led carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector, which make up some 40 per cent of China's overall emissions, to fall by 3.6 per cent in May