Mumbai, Oct. 8 -- State-owned Coal India (CIL) increased its supply of dry fuel to power-sector users by 11.01 per cent to 148.20 mn t in the second quarter of the current financial year, from 133.50 mn t in the year-ago period. The rise comes ahead of the festive season, when electricity demand generally increases.
The higher supplies enabled CIL to liquidate around 63 mn t of coal stocks at its pitheads during the first six months of the current fiscal. The company had approximately 67 mn t available at its pitheads and said the inventory was adequate to meet power-sector requirements in the coming months.
CIL, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of India's domestic coal output, increased total supplies by 12.50 per cent to 61.20 mn t in September, compared with 54.40 mn t in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal. Supplies to the power sector rose 10.63 per cent to 48.90 mn t from 44.20 mn t, while deliveries to the non-regulated sector increased 19.41 per cent.
Coal production rose 9.18 per cent to 53.50 mn t in September, from 49 mn t a year earlier. Production during the July-September quarter increased 3.81 per cent to 151.37 mn t, compared with 145.82 mn t in Q2 of the previous financial year.
CIL said its operational performance during September and Q2 FY27 placed it in a strong position to pursue its production and supply targets. The company has been assigned a production target of 815 mn t and a supply target of 850 mn t for the current fiscal. With the monsoon season over, production and supplies are expected to improve further.
Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said the country had no coal shortage despite higher thermal-power demand, monsoon-related mining disruptions and lower hydropower generation. He said thermal-power demand had increased by around 12 to 15 per cent as hydropower generation declined, while the overall situation remained normal.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.