Coal India Limited is expected to supply 610 million tonnes (MTs) of coal to meet the demand of coal-fired plants in 2023-24, which is 4% higher than 586.6 MTs that CIL supplied to power plants in FY ‘23.
The domestic requirement of domestic coal-based plants during the year is likely to be 821 MTs and CIL’s apportioned quantity accounts for a little over 74% of the estimated coal requirement.
“With increasing production and adequate coal stock of 69 MTs at our pitheads we aim to meet the projected target with our best shot and satiate the demand” said a senior executive of the company adding that “with large tracts of over burden already removed, exposing the coal seam, ramping up production should not be a problem”.
The announcement by CIL comes in the wake of forecasts that a hot summer may push up coal demand. “We do not foresee a situation where power generation will be interrupted for want of coal,” a senior CIL official said. CIL’s production and off-take for 2023-24 is targeted at 780 MTs. Of this, with 610 MTs programmed to meet the power sector’s demand, availability of coal for the non-regulated sector increases significantly.
In a press statement in the last week of March, CIL has stated that it was poised to post 16.6% growth in coal despatch to its non-regulated sector (NRS) customers in the fourth quarter of FY 23. CIL’s supply to NRS in FY ‘23 was 108 MTs.
The CIL press statement said that domestic coal available in the system as of April 1, 2023 is around 125 MTs, the highest, barring the COVID-19 year of 2019-20 when demand plummeted.
“This includes 69.6 MTs at CIL’s pitheads, 34.6 MTs at thermal power plants, 13.7 MTs at goods sheds, washeries, captive mines and ports put together, around 3 MTs in transit and 4.5 MT at Singareni Collieries Company Limited,” the statement said.
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