Gevra mine expansion: Asia's largest mine in the making

The Gevra mine, operated by South Eastern Coalfield Limited (SECL) in Chhattisgarh under Coal India, has secured environmental clearance to expand its annual production capacity to 70 million tonnes, positioning it to become Asia's largest coal mine. Currently, the mine operates at a capacity of 52.5 million tonnes per annum. The Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have been working together to achieve this milestone, recognising the mine's strategic importance in India's energy sector. 'Under the guidance of the Ministry of Coal, a historic milestone has been achieved by the Coal India team today. We have a vision for Gevra to become the largest coal mine in the world with state-of-art mining operations and this is a significant milestone towards that journey, said Prem Sagar Misha, Chief Managing Director, SECL. Acknowledging the support received, SECL management thanked the ministries and various agencies at the Centre, State, and Chhattisgarh Government for swiftly obtaining the Environmental Clearance (EC). SECL's flagship project, Gevra, claimed the title of India's largest coal mine last year, with an annual production of 52.5 million tonnes. Operating for over four decades, the mine spans approximately 10 km in length and 4 km in breadth. Gevra employs eco-friendly mining technologies like surface mining and ripper mining and utilises high-capacity heavy earth-moving machinery (HEMM) for overburden removal. It also features first-mile connectivity infrastructure, including conveyor belts, silos, and a Rapid Loading System for efficient coal evacuation.