State-owned Coal India (CIL) on Monday said its supply of fossil fuel to the country’s coal-fired power plants increased by 6% to 23.5 million tonnes (MT) in the first half of October, ahead of the festive season. It was 22.2 MT during the same time last year.
The supply was increased amid a sudden rise in power demand even as unseasonal rains hit operations in CIL’s mines in the eastern part of the nation.
Chattishgarh-based South Eastern Coalfields Ltd bore the brunt of the inclement weather, the company said in a statement.
The overall supply of dry fuel by CIL to the country’s coal-fired plants was almost 319 MT till October 15 of the ongoing fiscal, which was 12 MT higher in volume compared to 307 MTs supplied during the corresponding period of last fiscal.
CIL was given a projection of 610 MT supply for the ongoing fiscal, which is 4% more than what it supplied to this sector in FY23. The ‘maharatna’ firm expects its supplies to exceed the target.
“On a cumulative basis CIL’s targeted commitment was 316 MT to the power sector till October 15, FY 2024, against which the company’s supplies were ahead by 3 MTs at 319 MTs,” the company said, adding “CIL is confident of meeting the tasked target to the power sector”.
Coal is the largest source of electricity in the country and CIL produces over 80 per cent of the fuel in India..
