New Delhi: Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi has said that Coal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiaries are set to open 22 new coal mines. The news comes as India is targeting to achieve 1 Billion Tonnes (BT) of coal production by FY2023-24 and the government has placed increased emphasis on increasing domestic output of the fossil fuel which is critical to ensuring India's energy security. With this, India is now set to add 41 new coal mines to the mining sector as in addition to these 22 mines, 19 coal blocks have been auctioned to private players for commercial mining.
According to the information shared by the minister in a written response in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the largest number of coal mines are due to be opened in Jharkhand (8), followed by Madhya Pradesh (7) and Chhattisgarh (6). One coal mine is expected to be opened in Odisha.
Out of the eight mines coming up in Jharkhand, six will be opened by Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) and one each by Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) and Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL). In Madhya Pradesh, Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) is expected to open four mines, while South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) is set to open two and Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) one. In Chhattisgarh, all the six mines are set to be opened by SECL and the one mine in Odisha will be taken up by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).
Currently, coal accounts for approximately 55 percent of the country's primary energy consumption and Coal India accounts for about 83 percent of the country's total coal production. Joshi on several occasions that coal will play a big role in India's energy transition. At a recent event organised to launch the Ministry of Coal's Single Window Clearance Portal on January 11, Joshi asserted, "It is impossible to operate an industry or even grow crops without using some form of energy. And energy will continue to mean coal for several decades. The new India we are building has coal as its foundation. Coal will continue to play a major role in country's energy mix."
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