Coal Sector

Coal gasification can save ₹1.5 trillion in forex in 5-7 years: Coal secy

Coal gasification projects have the potential to save India around Rs 1.5 lakh crore in foreign exchange over the next five to seven years through import substitution, Coal Ministry Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said on Thursday. The Centre has committed financial incentives of Rs 46,000 crore under two schemes to encourage coal gasification projects, Dutt said, addressing the 4th Conference of Mining Ministers on Reforms in the Mines and Coal Sector in South Goa. "Mining with a conscience" should be the guiding principle for responsible miners, the official added. He said coal gasification, which converts coal into synthetic gas (syngas), can help manufacture several products that India currently imports in substantial quantities. "If the coal gasification projects get underway and gain scale, we would be succeeding in about five to seven years in saving about Rs one and a half lakh crore potentially of foreign exchange through this import substitution," Dutt said. "Coal gasification

Govt asks coal miners to triple stockpiles to avert summer blackouts

The coal, power and railways ministries jointly set a goal to boost inventories at the plants from current levels near 18 million tons to at least 55 million by the end of the fiscal year in March

Coal supply crunch at power plants deepens: 98 plants have six days' stocks

Coal stocks at 98 power plants are sufficient for just 6.3 days of operations, raising concerns over supply reliability as electricity demand surges and inventories remain low

Core sector growth at 30-month high of 7.9% in Sep as coal output rebounds

A sharp rebound in coal, higher iron ore output and strong refinery growth lifted core sector expansion to 7.9% in September, even as three of the nine industries contracted.

Coal supplies to power plants rise 36% from Sep low, stock depletion slows

Coal Ministry on Friday said the daily supplies of coal to the power sector have increased by around 36 per cent from the September low. The rate of stock depletion has also moderated significantly, while rake position has strengthened, the ministry said. "Stock depletion has slowed sharply, with the daily drawdown falling by more than half from 0.243 MT per day in September to 0.116 MT per day in October. The position is therefore stabilising, although stock rebuilding is yet to commence," the ministry said in a statement. Rail loading has strengthened correspondingly, averaging over 465 rakes per day in October, with the 470-rake target achieved on three consecutive days, the Ministry said in a statement. Supplies through other modes, including road, have also improved. The ministry further said that "some recent media reports flag growing risk of Power shortages in India as coal inventories at power plants fall to low levels" and, in this context, it clarifies that the "critica

Policy reforms speed up coal block operationalisation: Coal Secretary

The recent policy reforms in India's coal sector have streamlined captive and commercial operations by reducing the operationalisation timelines for fully and partially explored blocks, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt has said. Aided by the government's policy reforms, the operationalisation timelines for fully explored coal blocks have been reduced by 11 months and partially explored blocks by 14 months, Dutt said. Cutting operationalisation timelines drastically reduces regulatory and administrative gestation periods, enabling faster mine development and quicker commercial production. Speaking during a meeting of Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Coal on Wednesday, Dutt said that continuous reforms introduced in the coal sector have reduced the operationalisation timeline for fully explored blocks from 51 months to 40 months and partially explored blocks from 66 months to 52 months. Captive and commercial mines have played an important role in achieving 1 billion

Govt sets Jan schedule for first pact signing of coal-gasification projects

The coal ministry has issued the final RFP under its Rs 37,500 crore coal gasification scheme, targeting the signing of project agreements by January 4, 2027

Mospi proposes framework to assign monetary value to India's coal reserves

The ministry has recommended the OECD methodology for valuing coal reserves, saying it could strengthen natural capital accounting and support evidence-based policymaking

Coal gasification projects worth ₹65,000 cr under execution: Coal secy

Government says eight projects backed by incentive support are under implementation as India pushes coal gasification to reduce import dependence and boost industrial capacity

Coal min to organise third roadshow on coal gasification scheme on Thursday

Mumbai event will bring together investors, technology providers and coal companies as the Centre seeks to accelerate domestic coal gasification projects

Cabinet to soon clear ₹37,500 cr coal gasification incentive scheme

The Cabinet is likely to approve soon a Rs 37,500 crore incentive scheme to promote coal gasification projects, aimed at boosting clean energy production and reducing import dependence, sources said. The coal ministry has already prepared a Cabinet note on the scheme to promote coal gasification projects, with a financial outlay of Rs 37,500 crore, they said. The proposed scheme is aimed at accelerating surface coal and lignite gasification projects across the country, promoting self reliance by reducing import dependence on critical commodities such as LNG, urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonia, coking coal via DRI, methanol and DME, while enabling enhanced utilisation of domestic coal and lignite resources for fuels and chemicals production, and supporting the national target of 100 million tonnes coal gasification capacity by 2030. This is a unified scheme with no categories, and the maximum financial assistance for a single project is Rs 3,000 crore, they said. In the earlier financi

Coal India output falls nearly 10% in April; offtake sees marginal decline

Coal India begins FY27 on a weak note with a sharp fall in April production and marginal decline in offtake, even as dispatches exceed output amid rising summer demand

Govt sets new rules for coal gasification mining plans to boost output

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

Coal India plans two washeries, ammonium nitrate plant in Odisha

Coal India plans two washeries and a coal gasification-based ammonium nitrate plant in Odisha to boost value addition and reduce raw coal transport

Odisha coal ban deepens LPG crisis for food businesses, vendors seek help

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

Coal to remain central for India's energy security: PM's principal secy

India keeps coal central to energy security while expanding renewables, nuclear, and solar manufacturing, balancing climate action with equity and grid stability

NTPC to set up coal-to-SNG project at ₹10,000 cr capex in Chhattisgarh

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

South Eastern Coalfields to invest ₹11.8 cr in Chhattisgarh healthcare

The Chhattisgarh-based arm of Coal India Limited (CIL) will take up the project through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) head, SECL spokesperson said

India's coal import rises in Nov, set to fall as domestic supply grows

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

China confronts cost of dismantling the world's biggest coal sector

Coal has been closely tied to the Communist Party's history and to its efforts to transform China's economy over the past decades