Ministry seeks 40 rail links to meet power demand

These new rail links are over and above the 13 'critical gap' projects flagged off with the Gati Shakti inter-ministerial coordination team. Team Gati Shakti is, in fact, looking at a whole gamut of issues related to the 2022 coal and power crisis. Work is in full swing to get the 13 'critical gap' projects- missing links in coal evacuation- moving. Five of the 13 critical gap projects are expected to be completed between March to May 2023, as per a recent round of Gati Shakti meetings.

Citing increasing coal demand to meet the electricity needs of a rapidly urbanising India, the Union coal ministry has sought more than 40 rail link expansions to ensure timely evacuation of the solid fuel.It has also cautioned that a serious challenge could arise if adequate rail evacuation infrastructure is not ready in time to meet the country's coal demand.

India was faced with a coal evacuation-linked power crisis mid-2022, and has been working on a series of measures to prevent a recurrence.

In a communication sent to the Ministry of Railways earlier this month, the Coal ministry has reminded that the country's coal demand is expected to increase from the current 1 Billion Tonne (FY 2021-22) up to 1.5 Billion Tonne by 2030, ET has learnt. It is felt that in view of the increasing coal demand and projections, the existing rail evacuation infrastructure may be inadequate to meet the demand and hence pose a 'serious challenge', the communication said.

The period until 2030 is critical for India to use its coal reserves optimally and also ensure energy security goals even as it is making a shift to renewable energy. The coal ministry has said that it is imperative to plan and build integrated rail infrastructure to optimize total logistical cost of coal transport across the country.

The ministry has accordingly identified several rail links and key trunk lines for the same and asked the Rail ministry to facilitate the 'critical requirement' for coal evacuation in the country.

The nearly 40 railway lines sought as 'critical rail infrastructure' include several new lines as well.

These include a 132-km long new segment off Talcher coal fields as part of Mahanadi Coal Railway Ltd Phase III, a corridor linking Sardega to Pelma to facilitate coal evacuation to northern and western India besides new links off Angul-Sukinda in Odisha and Koderma-Tilaiya in Jharkhand.Doubling and tripling of several railway lines have also been sought across Jharsuguda, Chakradharpur, Rourkela, Singrauli, Kapilas, Rajatgarh and Katni among other coal bearing areas.

These new rail links are over and above the 13 'critical gap' projects flagged off with the Gati Shakti inter-ministerial coordination team.

Team Gati Shakti is, in fact, looking at a whole gamut of issues related to the 2022 coal and power crisis.

Work is in full swing to get the 13 'critical gap' projects- missing links in coal evacuation- moving.

Five of the 13 critical gap projects are expected to be completed between March to May 2023, as per a recent round of Gati Shakti meetings.