Twenty coal mines are likely to become operational by the end of this year, an official source said. This assumes significance with peak power demand in the country likely to cross 400 GW by 2030.
As per sources cited in a report by PTI, among the twenty coal blocks, seven are owned by Coal India and three by Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL). These blocks are expected to add another 100 million tonnes (MT) of coal production within the next three to four years.
Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.
SCCL is a government coal mining company jointly owned by the Telangana government and the Centre on a 51:49 equity basis.
The country is not very far from its next target to eliminate coal imports by 2025-26, he had said.
The country's total coal and lignite output was 937 MT in the 2022-23 fiscal year, as per official figures. Coal-fired plants contribute more than 70 per cent of the electricity supplied to the national grid.
In FY24, about 22.20 MT of coal was imported for blending, as compared to 30.80 MT in 2022-23.
Last month, coal and lignite production surpassed the billion-tonne mark, marking a nearly 7 per cent increase from the previous fiscal year. The Coal Ministry headed by Pralhad Joshi credited the Modi-led government for this milestone.
(With Inputs From PTI)
