Coal India Records 2.2% Production Growth, Reaches 543.4 Million Tonnes in 9MFY25.

State-run coal miner Coal India Limited (CIL) recorded a 2.2% year-on-year increase in production, reaching 543.4 million tonnes during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, up from 531.9 million tonnes in the same period last year. The company disclosed the figures in a stock exchange filing on Wednesday.

In December 2024, CIL’s production rose marginally by 0.7% year-on-year to 72.4 million tonnes, compared to 71.9 million tonnes in December 2023. While five of CIL’s subsidiaries posted year-on-year output growth during the month, two subsidiaries experienced a decline in production. Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), based in Jharkhand, and South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), based in Chhattisgarh, saw their December production drop by 2.4% and 13.7%, respectively, to 3.5 million tonnes and 14.3 million tonnes.

For the April-December period of 2024, BCCL and SECL reported production declines of 2.6% and 9.5% year-on-year, producing 29.1 million tonnes and 111.5 million tonnes, respectively.

Conversely, other subsidiaries, including Eastern Coalfields (ECL), Central Coalfields (CCL), Northern

Coalfields (NCL), Western Coalfields (WCL), and Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL), posted production increases during the first nine months of FY25. Their respective year-on-year growth rates and production figures were as follows:

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  ECL: 12.7% growth to 33.8 million tonnes

  
  


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  CCL: 3.5% growth to 57.7 million tonnes

  
  


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  NCL: 1% growth to 104.9 million tonnes

  
  


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  WCL: 3.5% growth to 45.1 million tonnes

  
  


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  MCL: 10.6% growth to 161 million tonnes

  
  

These figures compare to respective productions of 30 million tonnes, 55.8 million tonnes, 103.9 million tonnes, 43.6 million tonnes, and 145.5 million tonnes during the same period in FY24.

CIL’s coal offtake also increased by 1.6% year-on-year to 561.2 million tonnes in the April-December 2024 period, up from 552.3 million tonnes in 2023. In December 2024 alone, coal offtake rose by 2.45% year-on-year to 68.6 million tonnes.

The company has set a production target of 838 million tonnes for FY25. However, it anticipates ending the fiscal year with around 823 million tonnes, citing challenges such as land acquisition, environmental clearances, and other regulatory issues.

“Our target, though it was 838 million tonnes, we have committed to the Coal Ministry around 822-823 million tonnes due to various reasons, including land, environmental, and other clearances,” Coal India Chairman PM Prasad said during the company’s 50th foundation day celebration in November 2023.

HBL