Ministry of Coal Action Plan to Significantly Increase Coking Coal Production
- Produces 8.3 Million Ton Coking Coal Up to May, 2022
- Targets 140 Million Ton Production By 2030
- Coal India to Supply 3.45 Million Ton Washed Coking Coal to Steel Sector in FY 23
India has produced 51.7 Million Ton (MT) raw coking coal during the financial 2021-22 which is 15 % more as compared to 44.8 MT during FY21. Domestic raw coking coal production continues to witness increasing trend in the current fiscal as well with production of 8.3 MT, as per the figures up to May 2022, which is 20% more compared to 6.9 MT during the same period of the previous year.
Currently, the capacity for washing domestic raw coking coal in the country is roughly 23 MT annually, including 9.26 MT for the private sector. Coal India Ltd. (CIL) intends to build and operate nine more washeries, each with a 30 MTPA capacity. With the construction of new washeries, it is anticipated that CIL will be able to supply the steel industry with roughly 15 MT of washed coking coal, hence lowering the amount of coking coal imported. To increase capacity and meet the nation’s rapidly rising demand for coking coal, more washeries must be built. CIL provided 1.7 MT of washed coking coal to the steel industry in FY 22 and has a target of 3.45 MT for FY23.
The Ministry of Coal has auctioned 10 coking coal blocks with a PRC of 22.5 MT to the private sector during the last two years in an effort to further increase raw coking coal output. By 2025, production on the majority of these blocks is anticipated to begin. The Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) will also complete GR for 4 to 6 new coking coal blocks in the upcoming two months. The Ministry has also identified four coking coal blocks. In order to increase the domestic supply of raw coking coal in the nation, these blocks might be made available in later rounds of bidding to the private sector.
By FY 2025, CIL intends to raise the production of raw coking coal from existing mines to 26 MT and identify nine new mines with PRC of roughly 20 MT.
