New Delhi: The Ministry of Coal has unveiled a comprehensive 100-day agenda outlining its key focus areas for the initial period of the new government. The agenda prioritizes increasing domestic coal production, diversifying into renewable energy, and reducing reliance on coal imports.
Key Highlights of the 100-Day Agenda:
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Boosting Domestic Coal Production:
- Operationalize 20 new coal mines in the current fiscal year, including 12 with a total capacity of 58 million tonnes in the first 100 days.
- Achieve a target of 1.08 billion tonnes of coal production in the current financial year.
- Open three new coking coal mines in Jharkhand, with one being the largest in the country.
- Establish a washery in CIL subsidiary Bharat Coking Coal Ltd with a capacity of 2 million tonnes to reduce reliance on imported coking coal.
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Diversification into Renewable Energy:
- Increase Coal India’s (CIL) renewable energy capacity to 1 gigawatt (GW) as part of a larger goal to achieve 9 GW by 2030 for state-run coal companies.
- This aligns with the government’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030.
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Reducing Coal Imports:
- Aim to achieve zero import of coal by FY26.
- The 10th round of coal block auctions will be launched within this week, offering 62 blocks.
Additional Initiatives:
- Inaugurate the first unit of NLC India’s 660 MW thermal power plant at Ghattampur, Uttar Pradesh.
Context:
This agenda comes amidst rising demand for power, estimated to reach 260 GW this summer. India heavily relies on coal imports, particularly coking coal for the steel industry, due to the high ash content of domestically produced coal. The initiatives aim to address these challenges and achieve greater energy security.
