New Delhi: Even as Coal India’s (CIL) supplies to the country’s power sector exceeded the projected commitment, the company supplied an all-time high volume of 98 Million Tonnes (MT) to the non-regulated sector (NRS) consumers till December 2023 in FY 2023-24, said the coal miner on Tuesday. This converts to a whopping 23 MT increase with 31 percent growth over 75 MT logged in during the same period last fiscal. The non-regulated sector includes sectors other than power, like cement, steel, sponge iron, captive power plant, etc.
With increased production and maximised supplies through all modes of despatch, CIL’s offtake to power plants of the country rose to 454 MT during April-December period of FY 2023-24. This is 8 MT higher than the committed quantity of 446 MT during the period. Compared to 433 MT of April-December last year, the increase is 21 MT with around 5 percent growth.
With all the CIL’s producing arms posting positive growth, the public sector coal miner produced 532 MT of coal at the end of the nine-month period in FY24, logging 11 percent year-on-year growth. Production in volume terms rose sharply by 53 MT over 479 MT of April-December FY2022-23. On progressive basis, CIL has sustained the double-digit growth since July 2023.
With the appetite for coal remaining firm CIL’s total off-take rose to 552 MT, with a healthy growth of 8.7 percent till ending December FY 2024. This reflects 44 MT higher coal supply compared to 508 MT of last year’s corresponding period. Five of CIL’s subsidiaries have checked in double-digit growth.
Coal stocks at domestic coal based power plants have surged to 32 MT ending December 2023, about 5.6 percent more on comparative basis of last year. Coal stock at CIL’s pitheads at around 50 MT as of December-end was 56 percent higher than the inventory of 32 MT of the corresponding period last year, providing a comfortable buffer against any sudden demand surge.
