Coal news and updates

Indian coal production may touch 715 mt by 2016-17: Goyal

July 8: India’s coal production by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan is likely to reach 715 million tons (mt) at the current pace of business, including 100 mt from captive coal blocks, according to a report of the Working Group on Coal and Lignite for formulation of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-17), Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) was quoted as saying in an official release from the ministry.

In the Optimistic Scenario, however, India’s coal production is likely scale up to 795 mt, the report said. “The Optimistic Scenario was based on the assumptions about speedy development of coal evacuation, rail infrastructure and progress on environment and forest related clearances,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, to augment coal production, seven subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has taken up several projects, Piyush Goyal said in statement.

“The focus of the government is to undertake all measures to facilitate increase in production of coal,” the minister said, “CIL envisages taking up 118 projects for an ultimate capacity of 353.87 mt per annum (mtpa) during the 12th Five-Year Plan. The envisaged contribution in 2016-17, the terminal year of the 12th Five-Year Plan, is 137.77 mt, while SCCL envisages taking up 9 projects for an ultimate capacity of 13 mtpa during the same Plan period. The envisaged contribution in 2016-17 is 4.04 mt,” he added.