With various steps undertaken by the centre, domestic raw coking coal production is likely to reach 140 MT by 2030.
India has produced 51.7 Million Ton (MT) of raw coking coal during the financial year of 2021-22, which is 15 per cent more than 44.8 MT during FY21.
Domestic raw coking coal production continues to witness an increasing trend in the current fiscal, with the production of 8.3 MT, as per the figures up to May 2022, which is 20 per cent more compared to 6.9 MT during the same period of the previous year.
Presently, domestic raw coking coal washing capacity is about 23 MT per annum, including 9.26 MT of the private sector. In addition, Coal India Ltd.(CIL) is planning to set up and operationalize nine more new washeries with a capacity of 30 MTPA.
It is expected that with the setting up of new washeries, it is estimated that CIL will be able to supply about 15 MT of washed coking coal to the steel sector, thereby reducing the import of coking coal.
During FY 22, CIL supplied 1.7 MT of washed coking coal to the steel sector and set a target of 3.45 MT during FY23.
CIL has planned to increase raw coking coal production from existing mines up to 26 MT and identified nine new mines. Also, CIL has offered six discontinued coking coal mines, out of the total 20 discontinued mines, on an innovative model of revenue sharing to the private sector.
“To further enhance raw coking coal production, the Ministry of Coal has auctioned 10 coking coal blocks to the private sector during the last two years. Most of these blocks are expected to start production by 2025,” the Ministry of Coal said.
“With these transformative measures taken by the Ministry of Coal, domestic raw coking coal production is likely to reach 140 MT by 2030,” it added.