CIL ramps up automated coal sampling, targets 80% silo-based despatches this fiscal

New Delhi: Coal India Limited (CIL) said its “major focus is on automated coal sampling” as it steps up coal despatches through silo-based mechanised loading systems integrated with auto mechanical samplers. The miner said the technology-driven process “ensures greater consistency in coal quality, circumventing human interference, while significantly reducing quality-related concerns of consumers.”

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Third-party agencies to ensure impartial sampling

To ensure “an impartial, transparent, and credible determination of coal quality” under Fuel Supply Agreement provisions, CIL said sampling and testing are facilitated through independent Third Party Sampling Agencies (TPSAs). Currently, 11 TPSAs empanelled by Power Finance Corporation Limited are carrying out sampling and analysis at coal loading points of CIL’s subsidiaries, with consumers free to choose any PFCL-empanelled agency for quality assessment.

Silo loading to rise to 80% this year

Till December of FY26, CIL said it despatched about 375 million tonnes of coal by rail that were sampled by TPSAs, with around half of these despatches routed through silos where auto samplers ensured “high standards of coal quality process control.” The miner said it is aiming to increase silo-based despatches to “around 80 percent in the current fiscal,” adding that commissioning of new first-mile connectivity projects and silo loading is being “rigorously followed” to meet the target.

Grade conformity improves, more gains expected

Based on TPSA and referee lab analyses, CIL said overall grade conformity rose to 85 percent till December of the ongoing fiscal, up from 82 percent in the same period last year. “The increased silo loading efforts by CIL are going to further scale up the conformity,” the company said.

Online analysis pilots begin amid coal heterogeneity

CIL said it has introduced online analysis at two subsidiaries to obtain real-time quality assessment results, a move aimed at “further promoting the use of technology and transparency in the sampling.” At the same time, it noted the inherent variability of domestic coal, saying Indian coal is “so highly heterogeneous” that even within the same seam grades can differ, and “very seldom does the gross calorific value match for two samples taken from different locations of the same rake.” Despite this, CIL said “the use of technology for quality assessment has become a major focus area.”

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