The Ministry of Coal on Monday said it aims to produce 186.63 million tonne (MT) coal exclusively from captive /commercial coal mines during FY 2024-25.

Production will be further stepped up to 225.69 million tonnes during FY 2025-26 and as per the present plans of the Ministry, production target from such mines will be touching 383.56 million tonnes by FY 2029-30.

According to the latest figures of the Ministry, as of 31 December, 50 captive/commercial coal mines are under production and out of which 32 mines are allocated to the power sector, 11 to non-regulated sector and seven mines allocated for sale of coal.

Within three and half years after the commencement of Commercial Coal Mines Auction in 2020, six mines with a cumulative peak rated capacity (PRC) of 14.87 million tonne (MT) have already started production, it said.

The Ministry highlighted that the coal production and dispatch from captive and commercial coal blocks attained a remarkable growth during the period of 1 April to 31 December 2023. The total coal production from captive & commercial coal mines during the period 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023 stood at 98 MT.

In December 2023, the total coal production from captive and commercial coal mines was 14.04 MT, up by 38 per cent from 10.14 MT in the same month of the previous year.

Last week, the Ministry of Coal informed that out of 91 mines auctioned so far, six commercial mines have already started coal production and another three are likely to start production in a couple of months.

The Ministry asserted that these 91 coal mines are set to bring Rs 33,343 crore investment and three lakh employment opportunities for the country, considering production at aggregated Peak Rate Capacity level of 220.90 million tonne per annum (MTPA).

Government has so far successfully completed seven rounds of auction under a totally transparent online auction launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020.

Offering 31 coal mines of four States for auction, the 9th tranche of auction was launched in December, 2023. Mines pertaining to coal/lignite-bearing states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana come under the 9th tranche of auction.