CIL targets coking coal production of 71.77 million tonnes by 2019-20

Coal India Limited has set a production target of 71.77 million tonnes of coking coal - both metallurgical and non-metallurgical - by 2019-20. CIL is also aiming to enhance its coal production to 1,000 million tonnes by 2019-20.

Giving roadmap for coal production, minister of state (IC) for power, coal, new and renewable energy and mines Piyush Goyal said in a reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha, ''It is envisaged to enhance the coal production of Coal India Limited from 536 million tonnes achieved in 2015-16 to about 1,000 million tonnes by 2019-20. This includes enhancement of coking coal production from 53.8 million tonnes (7.68 million tonnes of metallurgical coal and 46.15 million tonnes of non-metallurgical coal) achieved in 2015-16 to 71.77 million tonnes (8.77 million tonnes of metallurgical coal and 63 million tones of non-metallurgical coal in 2019-20.

The initiative is taken to reduce imports of coking coal. ''This enhancement in domestic production of coking coal is envisaged to reduce coking coal imports to some extent. However reduction of coking coal imports totally would not be possible due to the constraint of availability of metallurgical grade coal from domestic sources'', the minister added.