Coal Sector to Complete 67 First Mile Connectivity Projects by 2027

A review meeting was chaired here by Sh. M. Nagaraju, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal to assess the progress of First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects of Coal Companies. Ministry of Coal takes up 67 FMC projects (59 – CIL, 5- SCCL & 3 – NLCIL) with a capacity to load885 MT coal per annum.These projects will be completed by 2027.

In order to eliminate road transportation of coal in mines, the Ministry has developed a plan to improve the mechanized coal transportation and loading system under FMC project. Crushing, coal size, and quick computer-assisted loading are advantages of Coal Handling Plants (CHPs) and SILOs with Rapid Loading Systems.

Reduced manual intervention, precise pre-weighed quantity, quicker loading, and better coal quality are all benefits of FMC projects. Rakes and wagons will be more readily available if loading times are reduced. Less traffic on the roads means less pollution and  diesel consumption.

The Ministry of Coal has set a target to generate 1.3 billion tonne coal in FY25 and 1.5 BT in FY30 in order to increase India’s energy security and realiseAtmaNirbhar Bharat by substituting domestically mined coal for imported coal. A key objective is the development of environmentally friendly, quick, and cost-effective coal transportation.