New Delhi, Dec 1: India’s overall coal production recorded a 7.2 per cent increase during November this year to touch the 90.62 million tonnes (MT) mark compared to 84.52 MT in the same month last year, the Ministry of Coal said on Sunday. 

Coal production from captive and other entities has shown significant progress, reaching 17.13 MT in November 2024, up from 12.44 MT in November 2023, marking an impressive growth of 37.69 per cent, according to a ministry statement.

Cumulatively, coal production for FY 2024-25 up to November 2024 reached 628.03 MT, compared to 591.32 MT during the same period in FY 2023-24, reflecting a growth of 6.21 per cent.

Additionally, coal dispatches in November 2024 showed steady improvement, reaching 85.22 MT, up from 82.07 MT in November 2023, reflecting a growth of 3.85 per cent. Dispatches from captive and other entities experienced a sharp increase, rising to 16.58 MT in November 2024 from 13.19 MT in November 2023, marking an impressive growth of 25.73 per cent.

Cumulatively, coal dispatches for FY 2024-25 up to November 2024 rose to 657.75 MT, compared to 623.78 MT during the same period in the previous fiscal year, recording a growth of 5.45 per cent, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry successfully auctioned 9 mines this week as part of the 10th Round of Commercial Coal Mine Auctions. These mines are expected to generate an annual revenue of around Rs 1,446 crore (excluding partially explored mines), likely to attract a capital investment of around Rs 2,115 crore, and create 19,063 employment opportunities, the ministry said.

The nine mines hold a combined geological reserve of approximately 3,998.73 million tonnes. The cumulative Peak Rated Capacity (PRC) of these mines stands at 14.10 MTPA, excluding partially explored coal mines, according to the official statement.

While three of these coal mines are in Jharkhand, there are two each in Odisha, Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

The Ministry of Coal launched the 10th round of coal mine auctions for commercial mining on June 21, 2024. In the forward auctions, a total of nine coal mines were successfully auctioned, comprising three fully explored mines and six partially explored coal mines.

--IANS