Coal Sector Records Highest Ever Production and Dispatch in Calendar Year 2024
New Delhi, January 4, 2025 — The Ministry of Coal announced that the coal sector in India has achieved its highest-ever production and dispatch in the calendar year 2024, highlighting the country’s ongoing strides towards energy security and self-reliance.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Ministry reported that coal production for 2024 reached an all-time high of 1,039.59 million tonnes (MT), reflecting a substantial 7.28% growth compared to the previous year’s total of 969.07 MT. This achievement underscores the strategic efforts of the Ministry to bolster domestic coal availability to meet the ever-increasing energy demands.
Additionally, coal dispatches also saw a record performance, with 1,012.72 MT dispatched across the nation in 2024. This represents a 6.56% rise over the 950.39 MT dispatched in 2023. These records in both production and dispatch illustrate the sector’s vital role in ensuring a reliable supply of coal for power generation and other industries, contributing significantly to national energy security.
The Ministry of Coal emphasized that the consistent growth in both production and dispatch is a testament to the sector’s commitment to meeting the nation’s energy requirements and supporting the vision of an “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India).
Looking forward, the Ministry’s focus remains on optimizing coal production and infrastructure development to reduce the country’s reliance on coal imports and strengthen domestic self-sufficiency. In December 2024, the Ministry announced its ambitious target of reaching 1.5 billion tonnes (BT) of coal production by the fiscal year 2030 under the Integrated Coal Logistics Plan.
As part of the “Mission Coking Coal” initiative, the Ministry aims to boost domestic raw coking coal production to 140 MT by 2030, with a target of 77 MT for FY 2024-25, up from 66.821 MT in FY 2023-24. Key strategies to achieve this include modernizing aging washeries under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), auctioning 14 coking coal blocks to private players with production expected to commence by 2028-29, and monetizing old washeries to improve operational efficiency.
The Ministry’s commitment to modernizing and reforming the sector has been further demonstrated through various initiatives, including the implementation of transparent e-auction processes. In 2024, the 7th tranche of the NRS e-auction saw 17.84 MT of coal booked, while four tranches under the SHAKTI B(VIII-A) policy facilitated the auction of 23.98 MT of coal. Additionally, a revised pricing mechanism for coal gasification projects has been introduced, allowing the price of coal for regulated sectors to apply to gasification projects commissioning within seven years.
These significant developments mark a continued path toward strengthening India’s energy independence and supporting its long-term sustainable growth in the coal sector.
