Coal India Limited is expected to supply 610 million tonnes (MT) of coal to meet the demand of coal-fired plants in 2023-24, up from 586.6 MT supplied by CIL to power plants in FY23. 4% more than
The domestic requirement of domestic coal based plants during the year is likely to be 821 MT and CIL’s shareholding is a little over 74% of the estimated coal requirement.
“With increasing production and adequate coal stock of 69 MT, we aim to meet the projected target with our best shot and meet the demand,” said a senior company official. Coal seam, ramping up production should not be a problem”.
The announcement by CIL comes in the wake of forecasts that the hot summer may increase the demand for coal. A senior CIL official said, “We do not expect a situation where power generation will be disrupted due to shortage of coal.” CIL’s production and offtake is targeted at 780 MT for 2023-24. Out of this, 610 MT is programmed to meet the demand of the power sector, significantly increasing the availability of coal for the non-regulated sector.
In a press statement in the last week of March, CIL has said that it is set to register a 16.6% growth in coal dispatches to its non-regulated sector (NRS) customers in the fourth quarter of FY23. ’23 was 108 MT.
The CIL press statement said that the domestic coal available in the system as on April 1, 2023, is about 125 MT, which is the highest except in the COVID-19 year of 2019-20, when the demand had reduced.
This includes 69.6 MT at CIL’s pitheads, 34.6 MT at thermal power plants, 13.7 MT at goods sheds, washeries, captive mines and ports, about 3 MT in transit and 4.5 MT at Singareni Collieries Company Limited.