India’s coal production from captive and commercial mines soared by 38% in December 2023, compared to the same month in the previous year, reaching 14.04 million tonnes, the ministry of coal said.
In a meeting chaired by M Nagaraju, Additional Secretary and Nominated Authority of the Ministry of Coal, the significant progress in the coal sector was highlighted. Nagaraju urged further efforts to meet the production targets for the fiscal year 2023-24.
As of December 31, 2023, India has 50 operational captive and commercial coal mines. This includes 32 mines in the power sector, 11 in the non-regulated sector, and seven for coal sales. Since the launch of commercial coal mine auctions in 2020, six mines have begun production, contributing a peak rated capacity of 14.87 million tonnes.
The total coal dispatch from these mines in December 2023 was 13.32 million tonne, marking a 39% increase from 9.58 million tonne in December 2022. The average daily dispatch for the month was 4.3 lakh tonne.
From April 1 to December 31, 2023, coal production and dispatch from captive and commercial mines showed remarkable growth. The production during this period was about 98 million tonnes, while the total dispatch was 103 million tonne, indicating a year-over-year growth of 26% and 32%, respectively. The non-regulated sector and commercial coal mines recorded the highest increases in production, at 98% and 101%, respectively.
The ministry of coal is committed to maintaining this growth momentum, aiming to achieve ambitious production and dispatch targets to secure India’s energy future and foster economic growth.
