Page 5 - Coal

Govt sets coal production target of producing 170 million tonnes for FY25

The government has set the target of producing 170 million tonnes of coal from captive and commercial coal blocks in the country during the current financial year. In FY24, captive and commercial coal blocks produced 147.12 million tonnes (MT) of dry fuel, 26 per cent higher from 116 MT produced in FY23. According to an official, additional secretary, coal, M Nagaraju this week reviewed the coal production targets for FY25. Representatives of 74 coal mines were present in the review meeting. "Coal block allottees are confident of achieving the production target of 170.0 MT in 2024-25," the official said. The additional secretary also reviewed the plans of anticipated operationalisation of new mines during 2024-25. Out of the total output of 147.2 MT in FY24, power sector captive mines produced around 121.3 MT, captive mines of the non-power sector produced 8.4 MT while commercial mines generated 17.5 MT of fuel. The country's coal import rose to 244.27 MT in the April-February pe

India doubled new coal power capacity in 2023: Global Energy Monitor

The survey also revealed a substantial increase in coal power proposals in India, with both public and private sectors proposing 11.4 GW of new capacity

Coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, is finally preparing for long goodbye

Coal's days are numbered, of course. Advances in solar and wind have made those technologies far cheaper than coal power in most parts of the world, and similar gains for batteries

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd crosses 200 MT coal production mark in FY24

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) has achieved the 200-million tonne (MT) coal production mark in the 2023-24 fiscal, officials said Sunday. The MCL has mining operations in Odisha's Angul, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh districts. The company crossed the 200-MT mark on Saturday night. "It gives me immense pleasure to share the news of this extraordinary milestone of 200 million tonnes in coal production. This is not just a number, but a symbol of our commitment, hard work and perseverance," said Chairman-cum Managing Director Uday Anant Kaole. MCL had attained the 100-MT mark in 2009-10, while 150-MT output was achieved in 2021-22.

ACC bags Lamatola coking coal block situated in MP on 3rd day of auction

Cement major ACC Ltd bagged the Lamatola coking coal block situated in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday in the ongoing nineth round of auction of commercial coal mines, according to an official release. ACC submitted the final bid offering a premium of 16.75 per cent against the reserve price of 4 per cent. "Including today's auction, a total of 4 coking coal mines have been auctioned under the ongoing rounds of auction. Once operationalized, these coal mines will reduce the dependency of country on imported coking coal," the Coal Ministry said. The latest round of commercial coal mine auctions was launched by the Coal Ministry on December 20, 2023. As many as 32 coal mines were put on the block. The Lamatola coking coal mine located in Madhya Pradesh has 200 million tonnes reserves of coking coal.

Govt panel backs higher carbon tax on coal imports to limit polluting fuel

Coal is among India's top five commodity imports by value. Despite surging domestic production, mainly of low-quality coal with high ash content

Govt extends mandate for utilities to import 6% of coal needs until June

India last year had asked utilities to import 6% of their coal requirements until March due to an unprecedented surge in power and coal demand

Goal is to build capacity, reduce imports of coal, machinery: Coal secy

India is working on achieving its goal to reduce spending on importing machinery and equipment for coal mining and simultaneously building up its own capacity to step up exports to other countries, Amrit Lal Meena, Union Secretary, Ministry of Coal said here on Saturday. Coal India Limited (CIL) is still dependent on import of high capacity mining machines, rope shovels, 190T Dumpers and front-end loaders. The average annual import of these high capacity mining machines of Coal India Limited (CIL) is approximately Rs 750 crores for which customs duty of about Rs 250 crore has to be paid, he said. CIL has been placing trial orders to encourage manufacturers to develop these equipment in India and results have been encouraging, Meena said while addressing a stakeholders meet on 'Make in India' initiatives for mining machineries here. CIL plans to phase down imports of these equipment gradually over the next few years and make the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat a reality, the secretary

Coal minister Joshi launches coal logistics policy for infra development

The coal ministry is building an AI-powered dedicated logistics platform for the fossil fuel which would integrate all the existing central and state-level coal transport tracking systems

CIL to hold 51% stake in Rs 11,700 crore coal-to-chemical JV with BHEL

Coal India Limited (CIL) on Wednesday said it will hold a 51 per cent stake in the joint venture with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the coal-to-chemicals project in Odisha. "To form a JV company to undertake coal-to-chemicals business by initially setting up a Coal to 2000 tons per day (TPD) Ammonium Nitrate Plant using BHEL's in-house developed PFBG (Pressurized Fluidized Bed Gasification) technology," the company informed the bourses. "Equity shareholding shall be 51 per cent with CIL and 49 per cent with BHEL," the miner said. The CIL project involves its subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Jharsuguda district of Odisha at an estimated project cost of Rs 11,782 crore considering a debt-equity ratio of up to 70:30, the government said earlier. The venture will kick off with the construction of a state-of-the-art Coal to Ammonium Nitrate Plant, leveraging BHEL's Pressurized Fluidized Bed Gasification (PFBG) technology. CIL, in a pivotal role, pledges to

Ministry of coal encouraging extensive diversification within CPSEs

The Coal Ministry on Tuesday said it is actively encouraging extensive diversification within central public sector units, including Coal India, in line with the country's commitment to varied energy mix. The ministry has two large Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSUs), Coal India Ltd (CIL) and NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), under its administrative control. "In line with India's commitment to diversifying its energy mix, the Ministry of Coal is actively promoting extensive diversification within CPSEs, establishing pit-head TPPs, solar power plants, coal/lignite gasification plants, and critical mineral exploration," the coal ministry said in a statement. Stressing the use of de-coaled land for cost-effective pit-head thermal power plants, the ministry's directive targets to secure sustainable operations for both PSUs, foreseeing a future coal surplus. CIL is a hard-core coal company with seven arms while NLCIL is in lignite, power generation, new renewable energy and coal ...

'Thermal coal imports falling first time since pandemic on domestic output'

Lower Indian appetite for imports could further pressure prices, even as miners grapple with a 70% plunge from record highs that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022

Coal sector contributes Rs 70,000 cr every yr to Centre, states: Govt

The coal sector contributes over Rs 70,000 crore every year to the Centre and states, through GST, royalties and other levies, the government said on Monday. These funds play a significant role in the socio-economic development and infrastructure enhancement in those coal-bearing areas, the coal ministry said in a statement. "The coal sector contributes over Rs 70,000 crore annually to the Centre and state governments through royalties, GST, and other levies," the statement said. "Coal production generates substantial revenue for both Centre and state governments, with royalty collections reaching Rs 23,184.86 crore in the fiscal year 2022-23," the statement said. Coal is the single-largest contributor to railway freight, with an average share of nearly 49 per cent of the total freight income amounting to Rs 82,275 crore in 2022-23 alone. This revenue contribution has surpassed 33 per cent of total railway earnings.

Coal import for blending drops 37% to 19.36 million tonne in Apr-Jan period

The import of coal for blending purposes dropped 36.69 per cent to 19.36 Million Tonnes (MT) in the April-January period of the current fiscal, an official statement said on Monday. The country's coal import for blending was 30.58 MT in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. "Despite the surging power demand, coal import for blending witnessed a significant decrease of 36.69 per cent... This exemplifies the nation's steadfast commitment to achieving self-reliance in coal production and minimising overall coal imports," the coal ministry said in a statement. The country's power generation grew 6.6 per cent in the April-January period over the year-ago period, the statement said. Coal remains the predominant source and contributes over 70 per cent to the total power generation. Coal-based power generation has been important in meeting the rising energy demands. Currently, the country is experiencing a substantial rise in power requirements on account of industrial

NTPC crosses 100 million tonne coal production mark from captive mines

State-owned NTPC on Monday said it has crossed 100 million tonne (MT) coal production mark from its captive mines. The milestone was achieved on February 25, 2024, NTPC said in a statement. "Coal mining subsidiary NTPC Mining Ltd (NML) has produced 100.04 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) of coal since coal production started in its first coal mine Pakri Barwadih on January 1, 2017," the company said. While the first 50 MT coal production was achieved in 1,995 days on June 19, 2022, the next 50 MT coal production was achieved in 617 days only, NTPC said. The coal production from its captive mines contributes to NTPC's fuel security and ensuring efficient supply, it said. NTPC Mining Ltd has five operational captive coal mines namely Pakri Barwadih, Chatti Bariatu and Kerandari Coal Mines in Jharkhand, Dulanga Coal Mine in Odisha and Talaipalli Coal Mine in Chhattisgarh. NML is targeting 100 MT coal production per annum by 2030. NTPC, under Ministry of Power, is the country's largest po

Govt carried out coal auctions after tweaking rules: Cong cites CAG reports

The Congress on Saturday cited CAG reports to allege that the government carried out coal auctions after tweaking rules in order to favour a select few industrialists and this caused huge revenue loss. The opposition party also asked why no action was taken by the government and the prime minister on letters by two BJP leaders raising concerns over the coal auctions. It further asked whether the government would order an ED investigation into the matter. While addressing a press conference, Congress leader Pawan Khera showed letters by BJP leader and now ministers R K Singh and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, raising concerns in 2015 over the coal auctions to some companies by allowing only two companies, who were related, to bid for the blocks that led to cartelisation and loss of revenue. He alleged that the two were later made ministers and no action was taken on their concerns thereafter. "Will the Modi government order an ED raid and investigate this sordid saga of collusion and ...

Gasification projects to help in economic development of coal regions: Govt

The government on Wednesday said that coal gasification projects will help in socio-economic development of coal bearing regions as well as in boosting the country's energy security. Addressing a road show here to promote coal/lignite gasification projects, additional secretary in the coal ministry M Nagaraju called for investments in technology towards a greener and cleaner future. This was the second road show organised by the coal ministry on coal and lignite gasification projects after the first one held in Hyderabad on February 16. The event here was attended by key stakeholders, including policy makers, EPC agencies, PMC consultants and. They discussed the opportunities and hurdles associated with coal and lignite gasification projects. According to an official release, the road show served as a platform to highlight the government's scheme for the promotion of coal/lignite gasification projects, emphasising their key role in India's energy landscape and economic ...

Coal India may exceed capex target of Rs 16,500 crore for FY24: Govt

The government of Wednesday said the state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) is likely to exceed its capex target of Rs 16,500 crore for the current financial year. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. "As we navigate through the current fiscal year of 2023-24, both CIL and NLCIL are on track to exceed their capex targets yet again... both CIL and NLCIL will exceed their annual capex targets, further bolstering India's economic growth trajectory," the coal ministry said in a statement. The capex target of NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) for the ongoing financial year is Rs 2,880 crore. The Ministry of Coal's capex target for FY24 is Rs 21,030 crore. Over the past few years, coal Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) have been over-achieving their capex targets. In FY22, CIL and NLCIL had achieved 104.88 per cent and 123.33 per cent of their capex targets, respectively. In FY23, both companies achieved around 113 per cent of their target. NLC India is a Navratna

Tata Steel, JSW Steel among bidders for mines under coal block auction

Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Rungta Sons are among the 27 companies which have submitted bids for coal blocks put up for commercial mines auction, the government said on Tuesday. "A total of 27 companies including major companies like Tata Steel Ltd, JSW Steel Ltd, Rungta Sons Pvt Ltd., etc. have submitted their bids in the auction process," the coal ministry said in a statement. Other companies which submitted bids include ACC Ltdd, J K Cement and Thriveni Earthmovers. A total of 27 coal mines have been put up for auction in the ninth round of auction. A total of 33 bids were received for 13 coal mines. Under the second attempt of the seventh round of auction, a total of five coal mines were put up for auction and seven bids were received against three coal mines, the coal ministry said. "The online bids were decrypted and opened electronically in the presence of the bidders. Subsequently, sealed envelopes containing offline bid documents were also opened in the presence of bidders

JSW Steel in talks with Australia's Whitehaven for coal mine stake

The miner acquired the Blackwater and Daunia mines from BHP Group in a $4.1 billion deal last October, and expects the acquisition to complete in early April