India’s Coal Imports Drop 3.1% Amid Rising Domestic Production
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Synopsis
India's coal imports have dropped by 3.1% in the first seven months of FY 2024-25, totaling 149.39 MT, attributed to increased domestic production, as reported by the Ministry of Coal. The country is focusing on self-sufficiency in its energy landscape.
Key Takeaways
- Coal imports decreased by 3.1%.
- Domestic production rose by 6.04%.
- Imports for blending fell by 19.5%.
- Power sector imports surged by 38.4%.
- India aims for energy self-sufficiency.
New Delhi, Jan 13 (NationPress) India's imports of high-quality coal witnessed a decline of 3.1 percent during the initial seven months (April-October) of FY 2024-25, totaling 149.39 million tonnes (MT), a drop from 154.17 MT in the same timeframe last year, as reported by the Ministry of Coal on Tuesday.
The Non-Regulated Sector (excluding the power sector) experienced a more pronounced reduction, with imports falling by 8.8 percent year-on-year.
Holding the fifth-largest coal reserves globally, India's domestic coal production is essential for fueling its rapidly expanding economy. Nonetheless, the nation struggles to meet its coal demands, particularly for coking coal used in steel manufacturing and high-grade thermal coal for power generation.
Despite a 3.87 percent increase in coal-based power generation from April 2024 to October 2024 compared to the previous year, coal imports for blending by thermal power plants plummeted by 19.5 percent due to rising domestic production. This trend signifies a notable advancement towards self-sufficiency in coal production and a decrease in reliance on imports, according to the statement.
Conversely, coal imports for the power sector, especially from plants designed to use solely imported coal, surged by 38.4 percent, reaching 30.04 MT from 21.71 MT last year, as outlined in the statement.
On the production front, coal output exhibited a positive growth of 6.04 percent, escalating to 537.57 MT in the April-October 2024 duration, up from 506.93 MT during the same period of FY 2023-24. This increase underscores the government’s dedicated efforts to boost coal production and optimize domestic usage, the statement added.
The government's initiatives are aimed at enhancing local output to achieve a self-sufficient and sustainable energy framework for India, the statement concluded.
