Page 6 - Coal

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

40 bids received via offline mode for coal mines auction, says govt

The coal ministry on Monday said it has received 40 bids through offline mode for the coal mines put for sale under the ninth round of commercial auction. The government had launched the ninth round of commercial mines auction in December last year. "The Ministry of Coal has received an overwhelming response for the coal mines offered under the ninth round of commercial coal mine auctions. A total of 40 bids have been received in offline form," an official statement said. The ninth tranche of auction was launched for 32 coal mines. The last date for submission of bids was February 19, 2024. The online bids received as part of the auction process along with the offline bids will be opened on Tuesday in presence of bidders. In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that opened India's coal sector for private players.

Coal India to bid for 3 mines in critical minerals auctions in February

The world's largest miner has also visited lithium mines in Australia and is in preliminary talks about operating them, Chairman said

Coal scam: CBI names Monnet Ispat and Energy, CMD Jajodia in charge sheet

The CBI has filed its charge sheet in an ongoing coal scam case probe against Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd, its chairman cum managing director Sandeep Jajodia and senior vice president Amitabh Mudgal for alleged irregularities in allocation and running of Gare Palma and Rajgamar Dipside coal blocks in Chhattisgarh, officials said Friday. After over six years of investigation, the CBI has invoked IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust against the company, Jajodia and Mudgal. Submitting its findings before a special court in its charge sheet last week, the CBI said it has kept the probe open to investigate larger conspiracy in the case and the role of government officials, they said. Queries sent to the company seeking reaction remained unanswered. This is one of the alleged coal scam cases arising out of irregular allocation of coal blocks during 1993-2005. The CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry on September 26, 2012 to look into the ...

Coal India maintains top spot among CPSEs in GeM procurement, says govt

The government on Wednesday said Coal India Ltd (CIL) has maintained the top position among all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in Government e-Marketplace (GeM) procurement. GeM is an online platform for public procurement in the country. As on February 14, 2024, the procurement through GeM has soared to Rs 63,890 crore, which is 300 per cent of the annual target of Rs 21,325 crore, the coal ministry said in a statement. "The ministry of coal has achieved a remarkable milestone in Government e-Marketplace (GeM) procurement, surpassing its target for the fiscal year 2023-24," it said. "The significant increase in GeM procurement not only highlights the ministry's dedication but also underscores the robust collaboration and contributions from coal PSUs. "Their proactive involvement has been instrumental in driving GeM procurement success story, further solidifying their position as key stakeholders in India's coal sector," the ministry said.

Need to enhance coal-based plants' efficiency by reducing emissions: Govt

There is a need to enhance efficiency of coal-based power plants by reducing their emissions level, Union Minister R K Singh said on Tuesday. The Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy made the remarks at NTPC's Indian Power Stations O&M Conference (IPS 2024) at Raipur. The event commemorates the historic commissioning of the first unit of NTPC at Singrauli in 1982, NTPC said in a statement. The minister said that transition to green energy should not be worrying as both thermal and renewable shall coexist. "The world is not against coal-based power. However, for our current and upcoming coal-based plants, it is the need of hour to develop a mechanism to ensure increasing efficiency while reducing emission," he said. He further said he appreciates NTPC's contributions to the power sector and that he envisions the company to double its capacity from current 73 GW to 150 GW and become a global, multi-national entity operating its power plants worldwide. The minister had ...

India exported 0.78 MT coal to neighbouring countries in Apr-Nov: Govt

India's coal export to neighbouring countries was 0.78 Million Tonnes (MT) in the April-November period of the ongoing fiscal, Parliament was informed on Thursday. Among the neighbouring countries, India exports coal to Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "Coal export by the country during the last three years... is 2.945 MT in 2020-21, 1.316 MT in 2021-22, 1.166 MT in 2022-23 and 0.78 MT in 2023-24 (up to November)." Most of the coal produced in the country is consumed domestically. The major coal consuming sectors in the country are power, steel, cement, sponge-iron, and fertiliser. As the primary source of commercial energy in India, coal accounts for half of our energy consumption and remains the dominant fuel for power generation due to its reliability compared to other renewable energy sources.

Govt focusing on eliminating non-essential imports of coal: Pralhad Joshi

The government has taken several steps to ramp up domestic production of coal and is committed to reducing shipments of all substitutable grade coal, Parliament was informed on Monday. Coal import for blending dropped 44.3 per cent in April-November FY24 over the year-ago period, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. "The focus of the government is on increasing the domestic production of coal and to eliminate non-essential imports of coal in the country. Most of the requirements of coal in the country are met through indigenous production/supply," he said. The country imported 169.08 MT of coal in April-November FY24. The import was 237.67 MT in FY23, 208.63 MT in FY22 and 215.25 MT in FY21.

Coal production increases by 10.3% to 99.73 million tonne in January

The country's coal output rose 10.3 per cent to 99.73 Million Tonne (MT) in January, over the same month in the previous fiscal. India's coal production was at 90.42 MT in the year-ago period. The coal production in the April-January period rose to 784.11 MT (Provisional) over 698.99 MT during the same period in 2022-23, the coal ministry said in a statement. The country's coal dispatch in January rose to 87.37 MT over 82.02 MT in January last fiscal. As on January 31, the coal stock held by coal companies reached 70.37 MT, it said, adding that this surge reflects an annual growth rate of 47.85 per cent. "Concurrently, the coal stock at Thermal Power Plants (TPP), specifically at the location identified as DCB (Domestic Coal Based), marked a notable increase to 36.16 MT on the same date, with an annual growth rate of 15.26 per cent," it said.

SRAM & MRAM forms JV with Indonesian firm to offer coal supply solutions

UK-based conglomerate SRAM & MRAM Group has formed a joint venture with Indonesian company Energi Alam BORNEO to offer coal supply solutions, according to a statement. The joint venture aims to optimize the procurement and distribution of Indonesian coal in the worldwide energy market, SRAM & MRAM Group said on Saturday. The group said that the joint venture is expected to supply around 300,000 tonnes of Indonesian coal worth USD 30 million (around Rs 250 crore) every month to the Indian market. Energi Alam BORNEO is a major coal trading company in Indonesia. The company sources coal from East Kalimantan, known for the largest coal content in Indonesia and caters to various industries such as power plants, cement, chemical, and industrial applications. SRAM & MRAM Group is a global conglomerate with diverse interests spanning various industries such as oil, technology, agriculture, airport solutions and cybersecurity. Hemalata Arumugam, Group CEO of SRAM & MRAM Group ..

France, India to discuss accord on nuclear reactors to limit coal reliance

India, the world's third-biggest carbon dioxide emitter, is seeking to rapidly expand its use of nuclear power over the next decade as it aims to both decarbonize and meet rising energy demand

Cabinet clears Rs 8,500 cr incentive scheme for coal gasification projects

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 8,500 crore incentive scheme for coal gasification projects, sources said. The adoption of gasification technology in India is expected to reduce the country's reliance on imports of natural gas, methanol, ammonia and other essential products. The cabinet has given its go-ahead to Rs 8,500 crore incentive scheme for coal gasification projects, the sources said. The government is targeting to gasify 100 million tonnes (MT) of coal by 2030. In gasification process, coal is partially oxidised by air, oxygen, steam, or carbon dioxide under controlled conditions to produce a liquid fuel known as syngas. Syngas or synthesis gas can be used for power generation and to make methanol as well.

Coal production to touch 1 bn tonnes for first time: Union minister Joshi

Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said for the first time, the country's coal production is going to cross 1 billion tonne. India is going to stop the import of substitutable coal from next year, Joshi said at the second State Mining Ministers' Conference here. The union minister said there are going to be many difficulties in the coming days as the country will have to do gasification of coal. "Along with these things (difficulties), as far as coal is concerned, this time we are going to cross production of one billion tonnes. This is happening for the first time... I am assuring the country that we are going to stop the import of all substitutable coal from next year," Joshi said. According to him, like petroleum and natural gas, the mining ministry is also very important for the country's economy to grow and become the third largest in the world. Further, he said that the mining revenue of Odisha was Rs 5,000 crore in 2013-14 and after the auction was .

Domestic coal-based power generation rises 7% to 872 bn units in Apr-Dec

Domestic coal-based power generation increased 7.14 per cent to 872 billion units (BU) in the April-December period of the current fiscal. The rise in domestic coal-based electricity generation reflects an ample supply of coal to meet the growing energy demand in the country, the coal ministry said in a statement. Domestic coal-based power generation was 813.9 BU in the year-ago period, it said. In the country, power is generated from conventional sources -- thermal, nuclear and hydro-- and renewable sources -- wind, solar, biomass etc. Thermal power producers use coal as the main fuel to run the units and the dry fuel contributes to more than 70 per cent of the total electricity generation. Coal-based power generation in the country registered a growth of around 10.13 per cent during April-December period of FY'24, as compared to the corresponding period of previous year while overall power generation grew 6.71 per cent during the same period, the ministry statement said. Coal ..

Jindal Power offers Rs 4,203 crore for distressed coal-fired power plant

Adani Power had last month quoted 41 billion rupees ($493.38 million) for the 1,980-megawatt power plant in central India ensnared in insolvency proceedings

National coal index declines 17.5% to 155.09 points in November 2023

Indicating sufficient coal availability in the market, the National Coal Index (NCI) dropped 17.54 per cent to 155.09 points in November 2023. The NCI was at 188.08 points in November 2022, the coal ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. This shows a strong supply of coal in the market, with sufficient availability to meet the growing demand. NCI is a price index that combines coal prices from all sales channels, including notified prices, auction prices and import prices. Established with the base year as fiscal 2017-18, it serves as a reliable indicator of market dynamics, providing insights into price fluctuations. "Similarly, the NCI for non-coking coal stands at 143.52 points in November 2023, reflecting a decline of 25.07 per cent, compared to November 2022, while Coking Coal stands at 188.39 points in November 2023, with a growth of 5.79 per cent compared to the corresponding period of last year," the statement said. The peak of NCI was observed in June 2022 when the i

Energy conundrum: Govt to double coal production despite climate goals

Later, the power minister Raj Kumar Singh set out plans on Dec. 22 to add 88 gigawatts of thermal power plants by 2032. The vast majority of which will burn coal

Coal India's supply to non-regulated sector rises 31% during Apr-Dec

State-owned CIL on Tuesday said its supplies to the non-regulated sector rose 31 per cent to 98 Million Tonnes (MT) in the April-December period of the current fiscal. Coal India Ltd (CIL) supplied 75 MT fuel in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. "Even as CIL supplies to the country's power sector exceeded the projected commitment, the company supplied an all-time high volume of 98 million tonnes to non-regulated sector consumers till December," the maharatna firm said in a statement. With increased production and maximised supplies through all modes of despatch, the coal offtake to power plants of the country by the PSU rose to 454 MT during the April-December period. "This is 8 MT higher than the committed quantity of 446 MT for the period. Compared to 433 MT of April-December last year, the increase is 21 MT with around 5 per cent growth," the PSU said. It produced 532 MT of coal in the April-December period of FY24, logging a year-on-year growth of 11 per cent.