 "coal, coal import, coal production")
Joshi said “the estimated coal demand for 202324 is 1,196.60 MT.” The coal production target for 202324 is 1,012.14 MT, the minister said.
The country is likely to be surplus in coal production by FY26, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
India may be surplus in coal production except for some high quality fossil fuel and coking coal needed for the steel industry and imported coal-based power plants.
To another query, the minster said that against the estimated coal demand of 1,196.60 million tonne (MT) in the current fiscal, the country’s production target of the fossil fuel is 1,012.14 MT.
The coal production target for 202324 is 1,012.14 MT, the minister said.
The government, he said, under a central sector scheme, carries out exploration of coal and lignite through Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd (CMPDI) in two broad stages –regional exploration and detailed drilling.
“Coal exploration is also carried out through National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) funding,” he added, adding that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) also undertakes exploration of coal and lignite.
As per the Inventory of India published by GSI for coal and lignite on April 1 last year, 6,457.72 MT of lignite resource are available in Rajasthan.
One open-cast lignite mine with a capacity of 2.1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) at Barsingsar, Bikaner district of Rajasthan, is operated by Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Ltd (NLCIL), and there is no immediate proposal for further mining activity in the desert state.
First Published: Dec 20 2023 | 4:30 PM IST
India is expected to have a surplus in coal production by the fiscal year 2025-26, according to coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi. The country will likely have excess coal production, except for high-quality coal and coking coal required by the steel industry and imported coal-based power plants. In the current fiscal year, the estimated coal demand is 1,196.60 million tonnes (MT), while the production target is 1,012.14 MT. The government conducts coal exploration through the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd (CMPDI) and the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) funding. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) also undertakes coal and lignite exploration. Rajasthan has 6,457.72 MT of lignite resources, and one open-cast lignite mine is operated by Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Ltd (NLCIL) in Bikaner district. There are no immediate plans for further mining activity in the state. These developments indicate that India is on track to achieve surplus coal production by FY26.
)
)
