Page 7 - Coal

Consider investing in coal, provide financing to mines: Centre asks REC

The coal ministry has urged REC to consider investing in the coal sector and provide financing to mines which would assist in faster operationalisation of the same. REC is a state-owned non-banking finance firm. Speaking at a workshop on 'Customised Debt-Financing for Commercial Mining & MDOs' in the national capital, coal additional secretary M Nagaraju said the sector is becoming robust and responsible. He said the coal ministry is taking various measures to meet the demand of the dry fuel and has auctioned 91 coal mines for commercial use in the last four years. He said the financing of one coal mine has already been completed and funding for two others is at advanced stages of evaluation. Provisions have also been made in the agreements to protect the interests of the lenders. Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena asked non-banking financial companies to find appropriate solutions while working on the proposals regarding credit availability for commercial coal mines. Meena stressed

Coal output picks up momentum in last 15 days after heavy rainfall: Govt

The country's coal production has picked up momentum in the last 15 days after unprecedented rains in early October in coal producing states, the government said on Monday. Total production of coal from all sources during the last 15 days is over 26.40 lakh tonnes per day. "Coal production in the country, during current FY (till 28.10.23) has shown a growth of 12.81 per cent compared to same period last year," the coal ministry said in a statement. The overall supply of dry fuel has increased by 11.70 per cent and supply to power sector has registered a growth of 7.87 per cent compared to the same period last year. The trend of coal stocks at coal-based power plant, which was showing a depletion earlier, is now during the last 10 days registering an accretion trend indicating that the supply and receipt of coal at thermal plants is more than the consumption. Overall, there is a rise in the stock at thermal power plants, including central and state government power generation ...

SECL achieves record 100 MT of coal dispatch with 17.5% growth in FY23

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) announced on Sunday that it had surpassed 100 million tonnes of coal dispatched for the current fiscal year, achieving a growth of 17.65 per cent over the previous year when the Coal India subsidiary dispatched 85 million tonnes of dry fuel. Of the total dispatch, more than 80 per cent went to the power sector, with the company sending around 81 million tonnes of coal to thermal power plants across the country, according to company officials. "This is the fastest 100 MT coal dispatch achieved by the company since its inception. The company's mega projects Gevra, Dipka, and Kusmunda, located in Korba district (of Chhattisgarh), have made significant contributions to the total dispatch of 100 million tonnes of coal," said SECL Chairman and Managing Director Prem Sagar Mishra. SECL's Gevra mine, currently the largest coal mine in the country, contributed 30.3 million tonnes, while Dipka and Kusmunda contributed 19.1 MT and 25.1 MT of coal, ...

Stock of this mining equipment maker soars 51% in 8 days; hits record high

Thus far in the calendar year 2023, the stock price of Eimco Elecon has skyrocketed 236 per cent, as compared to 8 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.

National average coal stock at season's low ahead of festival demand

Coal, rail ministries confident stock will replenish by mid-month

Indian steel companies plan price rises as coking coal costs surge

Steel mills are likely to raise rates by $25 to $50 a metric ton by December, said the officials, who did not wish to be named as they are not authorised to speak to media

CIL's coal supply to power sector rises 3.4% to 294.8 MT during Apr-Sept

Supply of coal to the power sector by state-owned Coal India increased 3.4 per cent to 294.8 million tonnes in the first six months of the current fiscal even as the demand for electricity touched record highs in the past two months, the maharatna firm said on Monday. The total amount of coal supplied was 1.8 MT more than the 293 MT demand projected for this period, Coal India Ltd (CIL) said in a statement. "Compared to the high base of same period last fiscal, the volume increase was 9.7 MT, or 3.4 per cent. This could have been higher if the logistics were eased out and intake not regulated by few consumers," CIL said in a statement. "We were given a supply target of 610 MT to the power sector for FY24. This is about 4 per cent higher than the record 586.6 MT supplied in FY23. We met the prorated demand of coal-fired plants till September-end and expect to meet the annual demand as well," a senior CIL official said. Coal is the largest source of electricity in the country and CIL

NLC India completes PPAs for 2,400 MW coal-fired Talabira plant in Odisha

NLC India on Thursday said it has completed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for its upcoming 2,400 MW Talabira Supercritical Thermal Power Plant (STPP) in Sambalpur district of Odisha. Power transmission company GRIDCO Ltd on Thursday signed the PPA to source 800 MW of electricity from the 3x800 MW coal-fired plant being set up at an investment of about Rs 19,422 crore, NLC India said in a statement. "NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) and GRIDCO Ltd signed a PPA today (Thursday) in GRIDCO Ltd in Bhubaneswar for 400 MW for stage-1 and 400 MW for stage-2. With this agreement, NLCIL has achieved full capacity of 2,400 MW of its Talabira Super Thermal Power Station Stage-I," it said. The agreement was signed between M Prasanna Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), NLC India Ltd, and Trilochan Panda, Managing Director, in presence of other senior company officials. NLC India has already signed a similar agreement in the past with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Pondicherry for 1,500 MW, 400 MW, and .

India need subsidies to meet renewable energy targets: Energy Vault exec

Renewable electricity available at any time of the day and night "is sort of a holy grail," Piconi said. "It's not achievable with the current technologies, because they are not economical."

India's mineral production rises 10.7% in July: Indian Bureau of Mines

India's mineral output rose 10.7 per cent in July as compared to the same month a year ago, the mines ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for July 2023 was at 111.9, higher 10.7 per cent as compared to the year-ago period, as per the provisional figures of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The cumulative growth for April-July period of this fiscal year over the corresponding period of FY23 is 7.3 per cent. The production level of important minerals in July includes coal (693 lakh tonne), lignite (32 lakh tonne), petroleum (crude) 25 lakh tonne, bauxite (14,77,000 tonne), and chromite (2,80,000 tonne). Minerals that registered growth during July 2023 as against July 2022 include chromite, manganese ore, coal, limestone, iron ore, gold and copper conc. Minerals that saw contraction include lignite, bauxite, phosphorite and diamond.

Sustainable utilisation of coal mine water by PSUs benefits 1.77 mn people

The government on Wednesday said the sustainable utilisation of mine water resources by public sector companies under the coal ministry has benefitted 17.7 lakh people across 981 villages of nine states. In the course of coal mining operations, a substantial volume of mine water accumulates in mine sumps. This stored mine water serves a range of community purposes, including domestic and drinking water supply, irrigation of agricultural fields, groundwater replenishment, and various industrial applications like dust suppression and heavy machinery washing. "During the fiscal 2022-23, CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises) discharged approximately 8,130 Lakh m3 of mine water, with 46 per cent allocated for community uses such as domestic and irrigation purposes, 49 per cent for internal domestic and industrial needs, and six per cent reserved for groundwater recharge initiatives," the coal ministry said in a statement. To ensure the suitability of mine water for drinking and ...

Availability of green hydrogen to reduce dependence on coal: Tata Steel

The availability of green hydrogen as a fuel will help reduce India's dependence on coal for steel making, Tata Steel CEO and MD TV Narendran said on Tuesday. Narendran made the remark at the National Management Convention session of All India Management Association (AIMA) here. "The way steel is made is changing and will continue to change further, as the industry is putting up new plants... Availability of hydrogen as a fuel and reductive is the key to reducing dependence on coal," he said, adding that scrap will replace ore as the main input. In January 2023, the Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore with an aim to make India a global hub for manufacturing this clean source of energy. Tata Steel plans to scale up the usage of hydrogen in the steel-making process after the successful completion of the pilot project at its Jamshedpur plant in Jharkhand, Narendran told PTI recently. In April 2023, Tata Steel commenced the firs

G20 to accelerate phasedown of coal power in line with circumstances

G20 countries on Saturday committed to expedite efforts to phase down unabated coal power in line with national circumstances and uphold their 2009 promise made in Pittsburgh to eliminate and rationalise inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. According to the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, the grouping of major economies acknowledged the importance of hastening the development, deployment, and dissemination of technologies to transition to low-emission energy systems, particularly by rapidly expanding the deployment of clean power generation. "We will increase our efforts to implement the commitment made in 2009 in Pittsburgh to phase-out and rationalise, over the medium term, inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption and commit to achieve this objective, while providing targeted support for the poorest and the most vulnerable," the G20 Declaration read. It further stated, "We recognise the importance to accelerate the development, deployment and ...

World off track to curb global warming, but offers ways to fix: UN report

With the world far off track on its 2015 pledge to curb global warming, a new United Nations report central to upcoming climate negotiations details how quickly and deeply energy and financial systems must change to get back on a safer path. The window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all is rapidly closing, Friday's report warned. The globe has to cut its emissions of heat-trapping gases by 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, and 60% by 2035, the report said. To get there, the report said, the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels is required, using a phrase international climate negotiators have shied away from before. It also said phasing out the internal combustion engine would be a huge help. And the way money flows such as investments, subsidies, loans, grants and payments for people and places hurt by warming's extreme weather also has to change, the report recommended. It said countries need to stop USD 450 billion in annual subsidies for coal,

Coal dispatch grows 6% to over 324 MT during Apr-Aug: Coal ministry

Coal dispatch to the power sector increased 6 per cent to 324.5 million during the April-August period of the current fiscal, an official statement said on Tuesday. Coal dispatch to the power sector was at 306.70 MT during the year-ago period, the Ministry of Coal said. "Coal dispatch to the power sector from April to August amounted to 324.5 MT, a growth of 5.8 per cent compared to 306.7 MT in corresponding period of the previous year," it said. As on August 31, the overall coal stock position at mines, thermal power plants and transit was 86 MT compared to 68.76 MT a year ago, an increase of over 25 per cent. "This higher coal stock position indicates commitment of maintaining ample supply, and highlights effective stock management strategies and operational efficiency," the ministry said. The ministry further said there has been a 53.13 per cent decline in the import of thermal coal for blending to 9 MT in the April-August period from 19.2 MT a year ago. This underscores the .

India's per capita coal emissions surged by 29% in 7 years: Analysis

India saw a 29 per cent increase in per capita coal emissions in 2022 as compared to 2015, while G20 per capita coal emissions rose by about 9 per cent from 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2015 to 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2022, according to a new analysis by global energy think tank 'Ember'. The annual report on 'Changes in per capita coal power emissions of G20 countries' also found that 12 out of 20 G20 economies saw declining per capita coal emissions since 2015. "However, G20 per capita coal emissions slightly increased by about 9 per cent from 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2015 to 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2022. India saw a 29 per cent increase in seven years in per capita coal emissions compared to 2015," said the report which focuses on global transition to clean electricity. Dave Jones, Global Insights Lead, Ember said China and India are often blamed as the world's big coal power polluters. "But when you take population into account, South Korea and Australi

Coal transition won't lead to job losses if system aptly executed: ISA DG

India won't experience any job losses in coal-dependent regions as it transitions towards renewable energy, provided the country designs its systems correctly, says Ajay Mathur, Director-General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). In an interview with PTI, Mathur also said energy security remains a driving force, especially in view of the Russia-Ukraine war impacting traditional energy sources. While India doesn't intend to fully eliminate coal, the sole dependable energy source in the nation, there is a target to diminish coal's contribution from the existing 50 per cent in the energy mix to around 30 per cent and have 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Addressing concerns about loss of jobs as India moves away from coal, Mathur, who has also been a member of the Indian Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, said the renewable sector holds promise for employment generation, particularly at the user level. "We need far more trained electricians who

JSW Steel plans to pick up 20%-40% stake in Teck Resources' coal unit

JSW, along with Japanese and Korean mills, plans to buy a stake in Teck's Elk Valley Resources, with a combined offer valuing the unit at $8 billion, Jindal told the publication in an interview

Enough stock available to meet any sudden increase in demand: Coal India

Coal India Limited (CIL) Chairman and Managing Director P M Prasad on Wednesday said that sufficient coal stock is available in the country and the company is ready to meet any sudden increase in demand. Prasad told shareholders at the 49th AGM that the company is working on a number of initiatives to increase its production capacity, including the development of new mines and the expansion of existing ones. CIL is committed to meeting the country's growing demand for coal and is ready to address any sudden surge in demand, he said. On Tuesday, the coal ministry reviewed the dry fuel's production and offtake in a meeting with senior officials due to the surge in power demand across the country. The country has sufficient coal stocks, with almost 80 million tonnes of coal available with thermal power plants and Coal India, Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi had said. Speaking about FY23 performance, Prasad said that CIL produced a record 703.2 million tonnes (MT) of coal in the fiscal yea

Nilkanth Coal Mining bags Sherband coal block in 7th round of auctions

Nilkanth Coal Mining Pvt Ltd (NCMPL) has bagged a coal block under the seventh round of coal auctions launched earlier this year, an official statement said. The coal mine is partially explored, the Ministry of Coal said. Nilkanth Coal Mining has bagged the Sherband coal block in Chhattisgarh with 90 million tonnes (MT) coal reserves, it said. The Ministry of Coal launched the auctions of coal mines for commercial mining under the seventh round and the second attempt of the sixth round on March 29, 2023.