The country’s coal production has risen by 12.81% during the current fiscal year (FY) up to 28 October 2023, when compared to the same period the previous year, the ministry of coal said. CIL witnessed an 11.90% growth, whereas SCCL registered a 7.82% increase. Captive and commercial mines outpaced both, showing a 20.94% surge. Overall coal supply expanded by 11.70%, with the supply to the Power Sector also experiencing a growth of 7.87%.
“Ministry of coal has taken proactive steps to boost coal production in companies with comparatively better railway evacuation logistics,” the ministry. As a result, coal companies such as ECL, BCCL, CCL, and WCL have posted growth figures of 18.70%, 17.60%, 13.90%, and 18.00% respectively.
Despite challenges posed by heavy rainfall in early October, coal production gained momentum in the latter half of the month. “Production from all sources during the last 15 days alone has surpassed 26.40 lakh tonnes per day,” it added. Additionally, as of 28th October 2023, the total coal stock at mines of CIL, SCCL, and captive mines, along with coal in transit, stood at 53.23 MT, marking a significant 42.32% increase from 37.40 MT in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The period also saw a decline in imported coal used for blending, recording a consumption of 13.5 MT against 20.8 MT during the same period last year – a decrease of 35%. “The trend of coal stocks at thermal power plants, previously showing depletion, is now observing an accretion trend in the last 10 days,” the ministry said. This indicates that coal supply at the end of thermal power plants is surpassing consumption.
The first half of the year typically sees lower coal production and transportation due to the summer and monsoon seasons. However, post-monsoon conditions are conducive to increased production and transportation, leading to a rise in coal stocks at power plants and mines. The ministry of coal affirms its commitment to ensuring sufficient coal availability and maintains close coordination with the ministry of railways & power.
