CIL's coal supply to thermal power plants rises 11% in October

CIL's coal supply: State-owned CIL's coal supply to electricity generating plants rose by 11 per cent to 50.8 MT in October amid higher power demand in the festive month. The fuel supply by Coal India Ltd (CIL) to the power sector was 45.8 MT in October last fiscal. The higher supply of five million tonnes (MT) was despite rain lashed across the mines of CIL's subsidiaries based in the eastern part of the country -- Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) and partly Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) -- during the first week of October, the maharatna firm said in a statement.

In the first seven months of the current financial year, coal supply by CIL to the power sector increased by 15 MT to 346 MT from 331 MT a year ago, registering a growth of 4.5 per cent. "The quantum supplies to the power sector were 4.7 MT more than the progressive commitment of 341.3 MT till October," the statement said.

The company is confident of breaching the annual supply target of 610 MT to the power sector. CIL produced 42 MT higher coal at 394 MT in the April-October period compared to 352 MT in the year-ago period.

"CIL has come a long way from a production of 79 MT in its year of inception in 1975 to 703 MTs ending FY 2023. And, we are on course in pursuit of the challenging output target of 780 MT in the current financial year," CIL Chief P M Prasad said at the company's Foundation Day event on Wednesday. Coal stock at CIL's pitheads stood at 41 MTs at October-end, 14 MT more than the same period last year, providing a comfortable buffer to meet any increase in future demand. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.

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