New Delhi: The coal ministry is geared up to meet 874 million tonnes of anticipated coal demand for the power sector in 2024-25, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday. For the financial year ending March 31, the Power Ministry had placed a requirement of 821 million tonnes, Joshi told PTI on the sidelines of the release of the ‘PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan in Coal Sector‘ booklet.
Their (power ministry’s) demand has been met. They had asked for 821 million tonnes and it has been supplied, the Minister said.
“For FY25, the power ministry has asked for 874 million tonnes of coal. We will fulfil this requirement also. We are going to cross 1 billion tonne coal production by this March,” he said.
The share of imported coal for blending purposes has gone down this fiscal compared to last financial year, Joshi said.
In FY24, coal import for blending was around 22.20 million tonnes, while it was at 30.80 million tonnes in the financial year 2022-23, he said.
Savings to the tune of INR 82,264 crores had been made through the reduction of coal imports in just one year, Joshi said.
The government is aiming for zero import of coal by 2026.
The coal ministry is also engaged with the Ministry of Railways for availability of rakes, Joshi said.
The average availability of rakes for the transportation of coal has also improved from 369 rakes per day last fiscal to 392 rakes/a day till date, the minister said.
The availability of rakes will improve accordingly this year as well, he said.
On the release of the booklet, Joshi said “It will ensure seamless utilisation of information on PM Gati Shakti projects. It has information related to various projects and cases, needing prompt resolution.”
There are also two applications to identify land for development purposes and provide potential coal block information to investors, he said, adding this will streamline land use and enhance investments into coal mining projects.
Coal Secretary Amril Lal Meena said the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan will empower all stakeholders with crucial information for planning and executing activities within the coal sector, thereby enhancing the ease of doing business and ensuring timely project execution.
