Page 7 - Coal

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.

Coal output rises nearly 11% in Dec to 92.87 million tonnes: Govt

India's coal production increased by 10.75 per cent to 92.87 million tonne in December 2023 as compared to the year-ago period, an official statement said on Tuesday. The country's coal output was 83.86 MT in December 2022. "The coal sector has witnessed an unprecedented upswing, with production, dispatch and stock levels soaring to remarkable heights," the statement from the coal ministry said. The production of state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) rose 8.27 per cent to 71.86 MT last month as compared to 66.37 MT in December 2022. According to the statement, the cumulative coal production of India during April-December 2023 increased to 684.31 MT from 608.34 MT in the year-ago period. Coal dispatch in December increased by 8.36 per cent to 86.23 MT from 79.58 MT in December 2022. The coal ministry further said it reaffirms its commitment to maintain consistent coal production and dispatch, ensuring an uninterrupted supply for a reliable and resilient energy sector.

Mineral output rises 13.1% in Oct, 9.4% growth in Apr-Oct period: Govt

India's mineral production went up 13.1 per cent in October 2023, over the same month a year ago, the government said on Monday. The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for October was 127.4, 13.1 per cent higher than October 2022, as per the provisional figures of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The cumulative growth for the April-October period of the current fiscal over that of the year-ago period is 9.4 per cent. The minerals that showed positive growth in October included iron ore, manganese ore, gold, and coal. Important minerals showing negative growth included lignite, copper conc, and bauxite.

Coal-based power generation rises 8.38% to 779.1 billion units in Apr-Nov

The domestic coal-based power generation increased 8.38 per cent to 779.1 Billion Units (BU) in April-November FY24 , an official statement said on Saturday. In the year-ago period, the domestic coal-based power generation stood at 718.83 BU. India's power generation increased 7.71 per cent in the period under review, the coal ministry said in a statement. The overall coal-based power generation witnessed a year-on-year increase of 11.19 per cent during the period on account of unprecedented rise in temperature, delayed monsoon in the northern region of the country coupled with the resumption of full commercial activities post-Covid. Coal import for blending decreased substantially by 44.28 per cent to 15.16 million tonne (MT) up to November in the current fiscal from 27.21 MT in the year-ago period, despite the escalating power demand. "This shows the nation's commitment to self-reliance in coal production and minimising overall coal imports," the ministry said. The government i

NTPC Mining logs 23.22 MMT coal output in FY24 so far, surpasses FY23 total

NTPC Mining has achieved coal output of 23.22 Million Metric Tonne (MMT) in FY24 so far, surpassing 23.20 MMT achieved in entire 2022-23 financial year. The milestone was achieved in record 257 days, taking 108 less days than in FY23, recording year-on-year growth of 77 per cent in coal production and 88 per cent in dispatch. NTPC Mining is a subsidiary of NTPC Ltd. "NTPC Mining Ltd (NML) has surpassed the coal production in current fiscal FY24 by producing 23.223 MMT on 13 Dec 2023 compared to FY2022-23 that was 23.203 MMT," a company statement said. Since December 2016, NML's cumulative coal production is more than 91 MMT from its four operational captive mines namely Pakri Barwadih & Chatti-Bariatu coal mines in Jharkhand, Dulanga mine in Odisha and Talaipalli mine in Chhattisgarh. In its pursuit of sustained growth in coal production, NTPC has implemented a comprehensive range of strategies and cutting-edge technologies. These include adoption of rigorous safety measures, ...

After recording all-time high, global coal demand to decline by 2026: IEA

After reaching an all-time high this year, global coal demand is expected to decline by 2026 due to a major expansion of renewables, according to the latest edition of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) annual coal market report. This is the first time that the report has predicted a drop in global coal consumption. Around 40 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions stem from coal, while oil and gas contribute to the remaining percentage. The report says global demand for coal rose by 1.4 per cent in 2023, mainly due to rising energy demand in emerging and developing economies, including India (8 per cent) and China (5 per cent). Consumption is on course to decline in most advanced economies in 2023, including in the European Union and the United States (around 20 per cent each), it said. Both the US and the EU rely more on oil and natural gas. For instance, oil and natural gas accounted for 36 per cent and 33 per cent of the total energy production in the US in 2022. The

CBI carries out searches at 10 locations in WB in ECL coal pilferage case

The CBI on Thursday conducted searches at 10 locations in West Bengal in connection with an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam in the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas, officials said. The searches are taking place at multiple locations in Kolkata and other cities as part of further investigation into the case, they said. The agency had charge-sheeted alleged mastermind Anup Manjhi alias Lala along with 40 others in July last year in connection with the case. The CBI registered an FIR in November 2020 against Manjhi, ECL general managers Amit Kumar Dhar and Jayesh Chandra Rai, ECL security chief Tanmay Das, Kunustoria area security inspector Dhananjay Rai and Kajor area security in-charge Debashish Mukherjee. "They (accused) fraudulently misappropriated coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas under the dominion of ECL and also from the coal stock parked in the railway sidings for sale and supply," a CBI spokesperson had said on July

Booming Indian coal demand driving up the shares of state-run giants

NTPC, which produces mostly coal-fired power, has surged 78%, far ahead of a gain of 17% in the broader Nifty Index, while shares of Coal India are up 55% for their best year in 2023

Coal output from captive, commercial mines rises 37% to 11.9 MT in November

The government on Saturday said coal production from captive, commercial coal mines registered a 37 per cent rise to 11.94 Million Tonnes (MT) in November. The coal output from captive, commercial coal mines was at 8.74 MT in November 2022-23. Coal dispatch from captive, commercial coal mines in November was at 12.92 MT, registering a growth of 55 per cent as against 8.36 MT in the year-ago period. "The average daily coal dispatch from such mines in November 2023 is the highest ever with 4.3 lakh tonnes per day," the coal ministry said in a statement. The total coal production from captive, commercial coal mines during the April-November period was around 83.90 MT, while the total coal dispatch was 89.67 MT, registering a year-on-year growth of 24 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively, from the same period in FY23. The government is committed to achieving the target coal production and dispatch, which is a crucial step towards ensuring the country's energy security and driving ..

Coal will remain an important part of India's energy needs: Official

"Coal is, and would, remain an important part of India's energy needs," Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Dubai

NTPC produces 19 MT coal from captive mines in Apr-Oct; supply at 20 MT

NTPC has produced 19.117 million tonnes (MT) of coal from its captive mines during the April-October period of the ongoing fiscal, a year-on-year rise of 86 per cent. It had produced 10.282 MT in the nine-month period of the preceding 2022-23 financial year, the company said in a statement on Thursday. In addition, NTPC has also achieved a coal dispatch of 20.225 MT till October 31, FY24, up 94 per cent over the supplies made in the year-ago period. "This outstanding performance reflects NTPC's relentless commitment to enhance coal production from its captive mines and ensure efficient supply to meet the nation's energy needs," the company said. NTPC, under the Ministry of Power, is India's largest power producing entity.

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.