India achieves record coal prodn of 893.08 MT in FY23; prodn grows 47% in the last 9 yrs

In FY 2023, coal production jumped to 893.08 MT, marking the highest in the history of the country, the Ministry of Coal said in a statement.

As per the action plan for the financial year 2023-24, the Centre has set a target of 1012 MT for coal production.

In the last fiscal year, the coal ministry signed agreements for a total of 23 coal mines having cumulative peak rated capacity (PRC) of 33.224 MT per annum.

Considering the good response received for the 6th round of commercial auctions, it is expected that 25 coal mines will be allocated during FY 2023-24 for commercial mining, the statement said.

'Mission Coking Coal' has been launched by the Government in August 2021, to come up with a roadmap that would suggest ways to augment the production and utilization of domestic coking coal in India by 2030.

Mission Coking Coal document has made recommendations majorly relating to new exploration, enhancing production, enhancing washing capacity, and auction of new coking coal mines.

The mission has been launched to enhance the production of coking coal with the objective of enhancing coking coal production from 52 MT in FY 2022 to 140 MT in FY 2030.

It also envisages enhancing the coking coal washing capacity from 23 MT in FY 2022 to 61 MT in FY 2023.

Coking coal is mainly used in the manufacturing of steel through the blast furnace route.

Domestic coking coal is high ash coal (mostly between 18%-49%) and is not suitable for direct use in the blast furnace.

Therefore, coking coal is washed to reduce the ash percentage and Indian Prime and Medium Coking Coal (<18 % ash) is blended with imported coking coal (<9% ash) before utilization in the blast furnace.