Kolkata, May 2 With close to 115 million tonnes (mt) of coal stocks at domestic coal-based power plants, CIL pitheads and other sources, including private washeries, captive mines and ports, Coal India Ltd does not anticipate any “criticality” on account of coal availability this year.

The state-owned miner recorded 31 per cent growth in over burden removal (OBR) in April ’23 compared to that in the same month last year, besides close to eight per cent growth in production at 57.6 mt during the month.

“The coal stocks in the system include 33.8 mt at domestic coal-based power plants; 64.6 mt at CIL pitheads; close to 13.3 mt at private washeries, goods sheds, captive mines and ports, while coal in rakes-on-run, that is, coal in transit is 3.5 mt. Hopefully, there would be no criticality on account of coal,” a senior company official said in a press statement.

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CIL’s coal supplies shot up to 62.3 mt in April ’23, nearly 5 mt more than that in the comparable month of last year, when the off-take was 57.4 mt. Stabilising demand from the power sector, the company’s focus on ramping up coal delivery to NRS (non-regulated sector), which grew 44 per cent to 11.8 mt, compared to 8.2 mt in the same month last year.

Supplies to coal-fired plants rose to 50.6 mt in April ’23, compared to 49.3 mt last year.

“Coal availability is comfortable, with domestic coal-based power plants stocked with 33.8 mt as of April-end. This is 62 per cent higher than 20.8 mt in the same period last year,” the release said.

Coal inventory at CIL’s pitheads stood at 64.6 mt at April’23 end, which is 13 per cent higher than the same period last year. Higher production by CIL ensured stocks reducing by only 4.9 mt during the month.

Higher production and supplies

CIL excavated 169.5 million cubic metres of OB in April’23, achieving 109 per cent target satisfaction, compared to 129.6 M.Cu.M in April’22.

CIL’s production in April 2023 grew by eight per cent to 57.6 mt. The additional 4.1 mt increase was achieved over a high base of 53.5 mt recorded in April’22. All its subsidiaries except Eastern Coalfields registered their highest ever production for April, , the release said.

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“Production could have been around 1 mt higher, but for the four-day stoppage of work by contractual workers in Talcher coalfields of MCL,” the official said.

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