State-run NTPC on Tuesday said coal production from its captive mines rose 148 per cent y-o-y to 2.75 million tonnes (mt) in April this year compared to 1.11 mt in April 2022.
India’s largest power generator achieved its highest-ever monthly coal dispatch of 2.95 mt in April 2023, a 140 per cent increase in coal dispatch volumes against 1.23 mt achieved in April 2022, NTPC said.
The Maharatna company recorded a production of 23.2 mt in FY23, a 65 per cent growth against 14.02 mt a year ago from its four operational coal mines -Pakri-Barwadih (Jharkhand), Chatti Bariatu (Jharkhand), Dulanga (Odisha) and Talaipalli (Chhattisgarh), it added.
Digitised initiatives
The implementation of digitised initiatives by the coal mining teams has helped raise the bar in operational excellence in the mining operations. The improved processes have helped in enhancing safety in mining operations and has also led to implementation of e-SMP, a digitalised safety management plan and a mobile app for safety, Sachetan.
NTPC plans to increase coal output from captives by 46 per cent y-o-y to 34 mt in FY24. Its mines produced 23.2 mt of coal in FY23 and 14.02 mt in FY22.
It also achieved the highest ever annual overburden removal (OBR) of 73 million cubic meters in FY23, representing a whopping 129 per cent y-o-y growth compared to 31.9 million cubic meters of OBR in the previous fiscal year.
Coal dispatches
NTPC dispatched 21.9 mt of coal in FY23 to its power plants with a phenomenal Y-o-Y growth of 48 per cent over coal dispatch of 14.8 mt in the previous fiscal.
Coal-based generation accounts for more than 71 per cent of the generator’s total installed capacity of 71.6 GW. The company consumed 227 mt of coal in FY22, while during FY21 and FY20, its consumption was 195.4 mt and 187.5 mt, respectively.