Production of coal to rise in 2023 - 24

In comparison to 716.08 MT in 2020-2021, the total amount of coal produced in India was 778.19 MT in 2021-2022. In addition, the country has produced 698.24 MT of coal during the current fiscal year, which ends in January 2023, compared to 602.49 MT during the same time last year, a 16 per cent increase.

The Ministry of Coal has asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to allow coal mines with current Environmental Clearances to increase production by up to 50 per cent without conducting a new environmental impact assessment or conducting public consultations.

Coal India Limited, the nation's largest coal supplier, shipped 572.25 MT of coal during the current fiscal year (April to January 2023), representing a 5.5 per cent increase over the previous year. In a similar vein, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) shipped 54.1 MT of coal during the current fiscal year (April to January 2023).

The domestic total coal production target has been set at 911 Million Tonne for the current year 2022-23.

Domestic coal production is anticipated to rise to 1017 million tonnes in 2023-24, and it is also likely to rise by 9-10 percent in 2024-25, in response to the anticipated rise in demand for coal brought about by economic expansion. Imports account for roughly 20-25% of the country's coal demand. On the other hand, efforts are being made to boost domestic coal production to take the place of the cheaper import of coal.