NEW DELHI: Following the complaints from non-power sectors continuously facing coal shortages since August 2021, the state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) on Saturday said it will further step up supplies to this sector. CIL claims that it is currently supplying around 3.4 Lakh tonnes of coal per day to non-power sector (NPS) which is the company’s average supply to this segment. “With more than 37 million tonnes (MTs) of coal at its pitheads CIL aims to further step up supplies to this sector,” said CIL.
The industry bodies representing fertiliser, aluminium, textile, sponge iron and captive power producers had been making regular complaints of coal shortage to their respective industries. In fact, they had made a representation to the prime minister seeking relief from the coal shortage they were facing.
“Despite prioritisation of coal to the power sector and facing other challenges, CIL at 101.7 MTs till January FY22 supplied 97% of the same period last year’s quantity to NPS customers,” said CIL in a statement.
CIL said its dispatch to the non-power sectors during April-January FY22 at 101.7 million tonnes (MTs) was up by 8.2% compared to 94 MTs in the corresponding period of a standard pandemic free FY20. For comparable period of even FY19, when CIL recorded the highest ever total coal despatch since its inception, supply to NPS sector grew by 11% over 91.5 MTs.
“Growth in supplies to NPS customers was at a higher rate than the supplies to the power sector during this period,” said CIL. NPS imports around 170 MTs coal in any fiscal year for blending with domestic coal.
Captive power producers face shortage
The industry bodies representing fertiliser, aluminium, textile, sponge iron and captive power producers had been making regular complaints of coal shortage to their industries