New Delhi: Coal-based power generation in the country has witnessed a remarkable growth of around 10.13 per cent during April-December 2023, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year while overall power generation grew 6.71 per cent during the same period, the Coal Ministry has said.
The domestic coal-based power generation during April-December 2023 reached 872 billion units (BU), reflecting an increase of 7.14 per cent from the 813.9 billion units (BU) generated in the corresponding period of last year. “This reflects an ample coal supply to meet the growing energy demand in the country,” the ministry said.
Coal import for blending has decreased substantially by 40.66 per cent to 17.08 MT during April-December 2023 from 28.78 MT in the corresponding period of the previous year, despite the escalating power demand. It showcases the nation’s commitment to self-reliance in coal production and minimising overall coal imports.
The government records indicate that the total coal consumption in 1983-84 was 130.73 million tonnes (MT) in comparison to 1,115.037 MT (provisional) in 2022-23 with a growth of around 753 per cent.
"In India, power is generated from conventional (thermal, nuclear and hydro) and renewable sources (wind, solar, biomass). However, the major source of power generation is coal, which is more than 70 per cent of the total power generation," the ministry said. Coal-based power generation in India has played a significant role in meeting the country's energy demands. India is currently experiencing a substantial increase in power demand, driven by a combination of factors like industrial growth, technological advancements, population growth and economic development.
The government persists in its efforts to further enhance coal production, aiming to increase availability and reduce dependence on imported coal, thereby safeguarding foreign reserves. The supply of coal to the power plants is a continuous process. To address the issues of coal supplies to the power sector, an inter-ministerial sub-group comprising representatives from the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Coal, the Ministry of Railways, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the Coal India Limited (CIL) and the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) meet regularly to take various operational decisions to enhance supply of coal to thermal power plants as well as for meeting any contingent situations relating to power sector, including to alleviate critical coal stock position in power plants.
“Finding new areas for mining coal and lignite through exploration in the country, including the State of Tamil Nadu, is a continuous process. There is one sub-scheme, including promotional (regional) exploration continuing through the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) of the Ministry of Coal for exploration of new areas of coal and lignite. In addition to this Geological Survey of India (GSI) surveys to find out the minerals, including coal,” the ministry said.
