Page 7 - AsiaElec Week 04 2023

AsiaElec COAL AsiaElec

India targets record breaking coal

output by FY23-24

INDIA THE government of India has set a target of 1bn acquisition, forest clearance, environment clear-
tonnes of coal mined for the next financial year . ance, rail connectivity and road connectivity
Making up the lion’s share of the total will be were discussed and time-lines were fixed,” the
the 780mn tonnes allocated to the state-owned ministry announced.
Coal India Limited (CIL), local media reports say. 56 of the 97 mines are clear of any mainte-
Fiscal year 2021-22 saw CIL produce 622mn nance or other issues, according to the ministry.
tonnes, according to state figures, with the nation- “Only 41 mines have 61 issues, for which contin-
wide employer of more than 250,000 typically ued co-ordination and monitoring is being car-
responsible for over 80% of all coal mined in India. ried out by top management of coal companies
India still relies on coal for over 75% of all with State Government authorities concerned
power generation, despite massive investment and the Central Ministries,” the statement
in its renewables sectors and moves toward net- continued.
zero gaining momentum. CIL chairman and managing director Pra-
In addition to the tonnage attributed to CIL, mod Agrawal meanwhile demonstrated the
Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has coal behemoth’s duty to social responsibility late
been given an order for 75mn tonnes, with last week by saying that CIL should try to make
another 162mn tonnes requested of captive sure the electricity generated by coal is sold at a
and commercial mining operations on the a locally deemed “just price”
subcontinent. Speaking to employees of the nation’s largest
“The ministry of coal targets to produce more coal firm, Agrawal added that “our role is to sup-
than 1bn tonnes of coal during the year 2023- ply assured energy at affordable costs” before
2024” India’s Ministry of Coal said in a state- continuing “(A)im for even loftier heights in
ment released to the press last week. the last quarter of the (current) financial year
At present, sources show that CIL operates and make FY22-23 momentous by shattering
290 mines nationwide. Of these, 97 are reported the annual targets as well. And not rest there;
to be capable of producing in excess of 1mn once we achieve [the] 700mn tonne production
tonnes per year (tpy). target that should be a benchmark base for fur-
“For all 97 such coal mines, issues of land ther growth.”™

Aim for even
loftier heights in

the last quarter
of the current

financial year
and make FY22-
23 momentous.

Week 04 26 •January•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P7