Ministers Fast-Track Coal Silo Loading To Boost Supply

26 Jun 2025 CW Team

Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have reviewed India’s coal-logistics network, agreeing to accelerate the roll-out of mechanised silo loading across key coalfields. Shifting from manual or front-end-loader methods to direct loading from storage silos ensures uniform coal sizing, prevents damage to wagons, and operates reliably in bad weather, thereby cutting delays between mine and power plant.

Silo loading’s share of total coal dispatch has climbed from 18.8 per cent in 2022-23 to 29 per cent so far in 2025-26, and the ministers examined projects to widen that footprint. They also stressed tighter inter-ministerial coordination to streamline the mine-to-plant chain.

The meeting came against a backdrop of record reserves: thermal stations now hold 58.25 million tonnes—enough for about twenty-five days’ burn—strengthening energy security through the summer peak and into the monsoon, when rains often disrupt production and rail movement.

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