The aim of the national action plan of the Government of India is to produce around 1.5 Billion Tons of coal by 2030. The Energy Expert underlined that India’s dependence on import of natural gas and oil is high but it has reduced for coal. He said, “Dependence on imports for coal has come down by roughly 24 to 25%.” In 2020, the import was around 248 MT from overseas. The import was mainly from South Africa, Indonesia, Namibia, Australia, and New Zealand but now the import has reduced to around 186 MT.
New technologies and methods, efficient training, and management have also led to a boost in coal production. The Government is taking various other initiatives to reduce import dependency. According to the expert, per capita energy consumption is also increasing as almost all the villages in India are electrified. Therefore, demand for coal is going up for domestic production of electricity.
Seamless transportation of coal across the country: India’s coal areas are mainly located in the eastern part of the country and some in central India. But the industries and population are spread all across the country. Railways play an important role in ensuring seamless transportation of coal. The Energy Expert mentioned that during monsoon season, rail transport is disrupted. Hence, to make sure that coal is available 24×7 for 12 months, the Government of India has developed dedicated rail corridors.
