In response to India's growing energy needs, the Ministry of Coal has presented a strong plan to increase coal production in order to support the country's ambitious thermal power expansion goals by 2030. The ministry is preparing to meet an anticipated coal demand of 400 million tonnes by adding 80 gigawatts of thermal capacity, assuming an 85% plant load factor for the new power plants.
The plan to increase coal production involves several methods, such as opening new mines, expanding current mine capacities, and starting captive and commercial mining projects. This proactive plan is designed to exceed the expected coal needs for the country's thermal power plants.
In the present fiscal year, power plants have been supplied with 821 million tonnes of domestic coal. The stockpile trends show a positive increase in coal inventory at power stations, currently holding approximately 20 million tonnes and at mining sites with a reserve of 41.59 million tonnes. The overall coal stock, including those in transit and from captive mines, has reached 73.56 million tonnes, showing a substantial 12% rise from the previous year.
The ministries of coal, power, and railways have worked together to make sure that there is a consistent supply of coal. Following the record low stock level on October 16, 2023, the coal reserves have shown impressive recovery.
