Substantial Increase in Coal Use Over the Years

The total consumption of coal in the year 1983-84 was 130.73 MT compared to 1115.02 MT (provisional) in the year 2022-23 with a growth of about 753%.

Providing coal to power plants is a continuous process. To address the problems of coal supplies to the electricity sector. An interministerial sub-group composed of representatives from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Coal, the Ministry of Railways, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL ) meets regularly to take various operational decisions to improve the supply of coal to thermal power plants as well as to address any contingencies related to the electricity sector, including to alleviate the critical position of coal stocks in power plants.

Also, an the Interministerial Committee (CIM) was also set up, made up of the President, the Railway Council; Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change and Secretary, Ministry of Energy; to monitor the increase in coal supply and power generation capacity. Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energies and President, CEA are co-opted as Special Guests as and when requested by the IMC.

Finding new areas for coal and lignite extraction through exploration is an ongoing process. There is a sub-scheme, namely promotional (regional) exploration which continues through the Ministry of Coal’s Central Sector Scheme for the exploration of new areas for coal and lignite. Apart from this Geological Survey of India (GSI) also carries out surveys of minerals including coal.

This information was provided today by the Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi, in a written response to the Lok Sabha.

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FROM/RKP