India Achieves 47 % growth in Coal Production during last Nine Years

During the last nine years, India’s overall coal production has gone up by 47% to 893.08 Million Tonne (MT) and supply has touched 877.74 Million tonne, recording 45.37% growth. Major leap in coal production of 893.08 MT in FY 2023 is the highest in the history of the country.

At the same time, as per recently finalised Action Plan for 2023-24   by the Ministry of Coal, the coal production target for financial year 2023-24 is 1012 Million Tonne by enhancing overall production, efficiency, sustainability and   adopting new technologies.

During FY 2022-23, the Ministry signed agreements for a total of 23 coal mines having cumulative peak rated capacity (PRC) of 33.224 MT per annum. Considering good response received for the 6th round of commercial auctions, it is expected that 25 coal mines will be allocated during FY 2023-24 for commercial mining.

‘Mission Coking Coal’ has been launched by the Government in August 2021, to come up with a roadmap that would suggest ways to augment the production and utilization of domestic coking coal in India by 2030.

Mission Coking Coal document has made recommendations majorly relating to new exploration, enhancing production, enhancing washing capacity, auction of new coking coal mines. The mission has been launched to enhance production of coking coal with the following objectives:

1. Enhancing coking coal production from 52 Million Tonne (MT) in FY 2022 to 140 MT in FY 2030.
2. Enhancing coking coal washing capacity from 23 MT in FY 2022 to 61 MT in FY 2023.

Coking coal is mainly used in manufacturing of steel through blast furnace route. Domestic coking coal is high ash coal (mostly between 18%-49%) and is not suitable for direct use in the blast furnace. Therefore, coking coal is washed to reduce the ash percentage and Indian Prime and Medium Coking Coal (<18 % ash) is blended with imported coking coal (<9% ash) before utilization in the blast furnace.

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AL/AKN/RKP