The Indian government, led by Union Minister for Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Pralhad Joshi, has embarked on a significant initiative to cease coal imports by the financial year 2025-26. This decision aligns with India’s broader goals of enhancing domestic coal production and reducing dependency on imported coal. Here are key details and data regarding this policy:
Current Status and Future Goals
- Coal Production Growth: India recorded a significant increase in coal production, reaching approximately 785.24 million tonnes (MT) in the financial year 2022-2023 (up to February 2023), marking a 15.14% growth compared to the same period in the previous year. In the financial year 2021-2022, the total coal production was 778.19 MT, compared to 716.08 MT in 2020-2021, showing an 8.67% growth.
- Coal Imports and Domestic Supply: For the financial year 2022-23, coal imports stood at 186.06 MT up to December 2022, while domestic coal supply was 794.96 MT up to February 2023. The major coal suppliers to India are Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, the USA, and Russia.
- Auction of Coal Mines: The Ministry of Coal initiated the eighth round of auctions for commercial coal mines on November 15, 2023, offering 39 coal mines. The auction includes mines located in coal-producing states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Maharashtra.
Strategic Plans and Reforms
- Underground Mining: The government aims to reach 100 MT of coal production from underground mines by 2030, employing mass production technologies.
- Exclusion of Certain Areas: Mines in protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, critical ecosystems, or densely populated regions have been excluded from the eighth round of auctions.
- Rail and Shipping Coordination: To ensure efficient coal mining and distribution, the Ministry of Coal is working closely with the Indian Railways and Shipping Ministry.
- Sustainable Development in Coal Mining: Joshi also highlighted the commitment to sustainable development principles in coal mining. This is in line with India’s broader environmental commitments, including achieving 50 percent of energy from renewable resources and the Net Zero goal for carbon emissions by 2070.
Challenges and Perspectives
- Logistical Constraints: A significant challenge in achieving coal self-sufficiency is the logistics bottleneck, particularly limited railway availability in inland India. This has been pointed out as more expensive compared to importing seaborne coal.
- Investment in Infrastructure: Market participants suggest that achieving self-sufficiency in domestic coal is possible only if the Indian government invests heavily in new logistics infrastructure.
- Focus on Solar Power: Alongside coal production, there is a proposal for Coal India to generate 5 GW of solar power by the financial year 2023-2024, diversifying 50 million MT of coal by 2030 for a sustainable energy mix.
- Dependence on Metallurgical Coal Imports: Despite the policy to stop thermal coal imports, India may still need to import metallurgical coal due to the inadequate quality and quantity of domestic coking coal.
Economic Impact
- Coal Industry Expansion: The reforms are aimed at rapidly expanding the coal industry to meet the nation’s growing energy needs.
- Potential Market Reaction: The market reaction to these plans has been relatively mild, with concerns over the feasibility of achieving these targets within the stipulated time frame.
In summary, while India’s ambitious goal to halt coal imports by the financial year 2025-26 is underway, it faces logistical challenges and depends on significant investment in infrastructure and policy implementation. The country’s reliance on imported metallurgical coal remains a crucial aspect of its coal import profile.