Reducing coal imports, boosting domestic production key focus: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy

The authorities has reiterated that reducing ember imports and expanding home accumulation is the cardinal focus, arsenic the ember assemblage remains a cornerstone of India's vigor security, playing a captious relation successful the country's concern and economical growth.

With the fifth-largest geological ember reserves globally and arsenic the second-largest consumer, ember continues to beryllium an indispensable vigor source, contributing to 55 per cent of the nationalist vigor mix.

Approximately 74 per cent of powerfulness procreation successful India relies connected thermal powerfulness plants (TPPs), reaffirming the request for a robust and sustainable ember sector, said Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy.

“The ember ministry is progressing successful the way of achieving 'Atmanirbharta' successful the sector,” the curate added.

The efforts has importantly reduced reliance connected imported coal. Between April and November 2024, ember imports declined by 5.35 per cent, redeeming astir $3.91 cardinal (Rs 30,007.26 crore). Notably, ember imports for home powerfulness works blending fell by 23.56 per cent.

The Ministry's 'Mission Coking Coal' aims to summation home coking ember accumulation to 140 MT by FY 2029-30, thereby reducing dependency connected imports successful the alloy sector.

India's ember accumulation has reached an all-time precocious of 997.82 cardinal tonnes (MT) successful FY 2023-24, marking a important emergence from 609.18 MT successful FY 2014-15, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.64 per cent implicit the past decade.

In FY 2023-24 alone, accumulation has surged by 11.71 per cent compared to the erstwhile year.

As of January, the Ministry of Coal has allotted 184 mines, with 65 blocks receiving Mine Opening Permissions.

Total accumulation from these blocks has reached 136.59 MT, registering a 34.20 per cent year-on-year increase. This is expected to transcend 170 MT people successful FY 2024-25.

Among the 8 halfway industries, ember has exhibited the highest maturation rate, signaling a 5.3 per cent summation successful December 2024 compared to the erstwhile year.
Additionally, the ember assemblage accounts for astir 50 per cent of freight gross for Indian Railways and provides nonstop employment to astir 4.78 lakh individuals, said the ministry.