Coal India Ltd (CIL) intends to provide 156 million tonnes of coal to power plants between April and June in an effort to fulfil the anticipated increased demand for electricity during the impending summer season. The state-run corporation stated in a statement that by the end of March, a buildup of 68 million tonnes of coal stock is anticipated at the pitheads. The stock at pitheads was 57.3 million tonnes as of March 13.
"Despite worries about an increase in coal demand, Coal India Limited (CIL) is hopeful about providing 156 million tonnes (MTs) of coal to the power sector during the April–June'23 quarter. This would represent 25.6% of the 610 MTs of improved yearly dispatches planned for this sector in 2023–2024, it stated.
The large coal mining corporation also stated that it would be maintaining its current production level while scaling it up to an unprecedented 700
million tone output, which is anticipated to be reached by the end of FY23. Even after shipping the anticipated coal to electric utilities in the first quarter of FY24, a senior company official predicted that CIL will still have a healthy 50 MT of coal stock at its pitheads by the end of June 23. Concerns about a high demand over the April–June timeframe have prompted measures to increase electricity supply. Concerns have increased as a result of the crisis situation with low domestic coal supplies that occurred during the same period last year.
The statement claims that the state-owned corporation is confident in its ability to meet the increased 610 million tonne coal supply objective for the power sector in 2023–2024. The aim is 20 million tonnes more than the initial estimate of the power sector's 590 million tonnes needed, it said.
In 2023–2024, the domestic coal demand for the power sector is expected to reach 821 million tonnes, with CIL's objective accounting for 610 million of those tonnes, or roughly three-quarters. At least 115 million tonnes of domestic coal should be accessible to power plants by the end of the current fiscal year, with 68 million tonnes at CIL's pitheads and 32 million tonnes at plants' ends.
Over 12 million tonnes of coal are languishing at private washeries, goods sheds, ports, and captive mines, according to Coal India, which also noted that rakes on run, or coal in transit, often make up 3 million tonnes of coal. The company is on target to end FY23 having shipped more than 585 million tonnes to the power sector, an increase of 8.3% over 540 million tonnes in FY22. The corporate official stated, "We fully understand the need of fulfilling the rise in demand from the electricity sector and will do everything within our means to achieve it.
