Critical coal shortages hit aluminium plants in India

18 Oct 2021 CW Team

On Friday, industry body AAI warned that the aluminium plants in the nation are grappling with a severely low level of coal stocks and if the fuel supply is not resumed quickly it would result in irrevocable collateral damage.

The statement comes when the coal supply by the CIL to non-power sectors has stopped tentatively amid electricity-producing facilities in the nation meeting fuel shortages.

The Aluminium Association of India (AAI) told the media that the aluminium industry has not received any support concerning the continuing coal supply crisis. Indian aluminium facilities are grappling with severely low levels of coal stock, with no support or alternative means to reach their power requirements and keep the plants operational.

Any power outage in aluminium facilities will result in a catastrophic impact and complete shutdown, which will take a minimum of 12 months of recovery, leading to job loss of over 8 lakh people. Banks will have debt exposure of more than Rs 1 lakh crore and an additional national forex loss of Rs 90,000 crore.

Aluminium generation is a 24x7, 365 days constant process industry. There is no term to switch off and switch on. It is a highly power-intensive industry. One tonne of aluminium needs 14,500 units of continuous power which is 15 times in contrast to steel and 145 times for cement.

It additionally said that Coal India should quickly restore continuous coal supply to the aluminium industry to prevent the closure of the plants, it added.

Image Source

Also read: Coal shortages lead 13 thermal power plants to shut down ops

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

Balu Forge Secures Artillery Shell Order

Balu Forge Industries has secured an initial contract to supply 30,000 units of 152 mm artillery shells to a major Indian energetics player. Supplies under the order are scheduled to commence in June 2026, marking a key step in the company’s expansion into the domestic defence sector.The order is expected to scale up to more than 100,000 shells with additional variants. The agreement also provides for the inclusion of further ammunition variants in the production pipeline, enabling the company to address evolving artillery requirements.The order will be executed through BFIL’s fully automa..

Government Notifies Two SEZs in Puducherry

The Government has notified two new Special Economic Zones in the Union Territory of Puducherry following approval by the Board of Approval for SEZs under the Department of Commerce at its one hundred and thirty-seventh meeting on 27 February 2026. The approvals are presented as part of a drive to strengthen the country’s industrial base, expand exports and deepen self-reliance in strategic sectors. Authorities described the decisions as milestones for Puducherry’s industrial and export-led growth strategy and as measures expected to expand opportunities for investment, manufacturing and h..

Canada India Launches Trade And Investment Forum

Canadian and Indian ministers met to reaffirm their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties and to deliver tangible outcomes that support economic growth and increased commercial opportunities for businesses in both countries. The Indian minister welcomed the delegation noted as the largest Indian delegation ever sent anywhere in the world and highlighted opportunities to deepen cooperation across complementary sectors such as clean energy, critical minerals, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and skills development. Both ministers reiterated..