KOLKATA (miningweekly.com) – In contrast to State-run merchant miners, coal production from captive mines from April 2018 to February 2019 has been estimated at 44-million tons, recording a growth of 31% and outstripping the government’s target of 40-million tons for the current financial year, according to data sourced from the Coal Ministry.
With a 31% growth recorded by captive coal miners, in contrast to a likely growth rate of 6% for State-run merchant miners, the Coal Ministry has set a target of 105-million tons a year for captive coal miners by 2020/21.
The recent relaxation of captive coal mining rules permitting captive coal miners free pricing and free sale of coal production to the extent of 25% of production from the mine, would give a significant incentive to captive miners to boost production in excess of their own consumption requirements, officials in the Ministry said.
Previously, captive coal miners, particularly thermal power companies, that produced coal in excess of their own requirement, had to mandatorily sell their surplus to Coal India Limited, at a price bench-marked to the latter’s selling price.
Total Indian coal production during April to February 2018/19 has been pegged at 638.46-million tons, against 591.42-million tons during the corresponding prior period.
Of this total production, the largest producer, State-run Coal India, accounted for an output of 527.70-million tons, recording a production growth of 6.6%, while the other government miner, Singareni Collieries Company achieved a production of 57.94-million tons, a growth of 6% over the corresponding previous period, but lower than the 65-million-ton target set by the government.