India To Begin Coal Export From 2025-26: Minister Pralhad Joshi

Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi asserted on Wednesday that India has sufficient coal reserves and that the country will begin shipping the dry fuel by 2025-26.

Joshi said on the sidelines of the seventh round of auctions for commercial mining of coal blocks in the national capital that India is transitioning from a net importer of coal to a net producer of non-coking coal.

The minister also guaranteed an uninterrupted supply of coal during the coming summer season, when peak demand is expected to be 229 GW in April.

Domestic coal demand is expected to reach 1,087 million tonnes in the current fiscal year. Some of the industry's needs are met through imports.

India's entire estimated coal reserve as of 1 April 2022, according to the Coal Ministry, was 3.61 lakh million tonnes. (MT).

In response to a query about imports, he stated that India imports 90 MT of substitutable coal each year, which will end in 2025-26 when the country begins exporting dry fuel.

"With the exception of coking coal, we will halt thermal coal imports," he said.

The plants, which are designed to operate on imported coal, may continue to import, but if the technology is changed, domestic supply can be made available to them as well, according to Joshi.

"Record coal production of nearly 900 MT occurred in FY23, and we currently have coal stock of 116-117 MT," the minister added and said that I guarantee the nation an uninterrupted supply of coal during the summer and rainy seasons.

Both private and public companies have been instructed to keep producing coal in April and May.