Coal India devises plans to achieve 1 billion tonnes target by 2020

The Dollar Business Bureau With India’s coal demand projection for 2019-20 standing at around 1,200 million tonne (MT), the Coal India Limited (CIL) is aiming at 1 billion tonne (BT) production mark for the similar period. CIL, a major public sector unit, has unveiled its roadmap of strategies to attain the said coal production target. While the projected coal demand of the country is expected to grow at the rate of 7%, the CIL is expecting a total contribution of 908 million tonnes from the projects that have been identified so far, said a recent release. And, the process of projects’ identification to share the balance quantity, to top up the one BT mark, is also underway, the release said. To achieve the target, two CIL subsidiaries— Sambalpur-based Mahanadi Coalfields Limited and Bilaspur- based South Eastern Coalfields Limited— are expected to play key role by contributing 250 MTs and 240 MTs of fuel respectively. The key actions on which the CIL is keen on include timely completion of three critical railway lines, timely land acquisition and green clearance. Besides, the action plans towards creation of the Coal Project Monitoring Group (CPMG) portal for regular monitoring of project related issues and other initiatives in coordination with the Indian Railways are also underway, the release said. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Power and Energy, was reported to have said the government was hopeful that the 1 BT coal production by 2019-20 will enable the country to stop imports of thermal coal in two-and-a-half years and will ease pressure on the current account deficit. The government of India intends to stop importing low-grade thermal coal in over two years with the coal production already on a growth trajectory, said the minister, according to reports. However, the government will continue importing high grade coking coal mainly used for steel production, the minster added.    

May 16, 2015 | 6:40 pm IST.