Despite an unprecedented coal production of 96.12 million tonnes, Coal India will continue to place emphasis on improving the off-take and maintaining the targeted growth rate in coal production in the next quarter


State-run Coal India has achieved an unprecedented growth of 11.4 per cent, on the top of a first quarter increase of 7.05 per cent achieved in the preceding year 2008-09. CIL produced 96.12 million tonnes which is 9.87 million tonnes higher than the production of 86.25 million tonnes achieved in the first quarter of previous year.

It may noted in this context that the annual target of coal production for CIL as per AAP is 435 million tonnes which envisages a target growth rate of 7.7 per cent for the year as a whole considering the actual production of 403.73 million tonne; achieved by CIL in 2008-09.

Coal companies have broken the annual targets into quarterly and monthly targets. It is gratifying to state that ECL, BCCL, NCL, WCL and SECL have achieved their quarterly targets. Among these, BCCL has achieved the highest growth of 20.5 per cent followed by NCL (14.3%), ECL (7.7%), WCL (5.5%) and SECL (4.9%). The companies which could not achieve the quarterly targets viz. CCL and MCL have, however, recorded growth in coal production of 12.3 per cent and 19.4 per cent respectively in the first quarter. Production in CCL has been adversely affected due to a number of work stoppages on account of law and order problem.

It is also important to highlight that the growth in departmental coal production in the first quarter has been 14.2 per cent. In this segment, the highest growth has been achieved by CCL (24.4%), followed by NCL (14.3%), BCCL (12.5%), ECL (9.5%), WCL (6.8%). Coal production in SECL and MCL are predominantly done by outsourcing. On the contrary, the growth achieved in the hired open cast coal production during the first quarter has been 8.7 per cent where there has been decline in ECL (-1.3%), CCL (-4.1%), WCL (-2.8%). The highest growth in hired open cast coal production during the first quarter has been witnessed in BCCL (42.1%) followed by MCL (13.6%) and SECL (5.1%).

Coal off-take


During the first quarter, CIL achieved an aggregate off-take of 100.09 million tonnes as against 93.25 million tonnes achieved same period last year, indicating a growth of 7.3 per cent. In this performance parameter, the best growth has been reported by ECL (15.5%), followed by NCL 13.4%), MCL (12.7%), SECL (5.5%) and BCCL (2.9°/o). There has been no growth in CCL and marginal decline of 1.8% in WCL. As regards performance against target, only ECL and NCL have achieved their targets.
As far as coal supplies to power stations are concerned, CIL supplied 71.3 million tonnes in the first quarter as compared to 68.08 million tonnes in the same period last year with a growth of 4.7 per cent. The highest growth rate in this segment has been achieved by ECL (16.8pc) followed by NCL (16.4pc), SECL (10pc) and CCL (3pc). Decline in supplies as compared to same period last year has been reported in BCCL (-0.4pc), WCL (-4.1pc) and MCL (-7.5pc). Efforts are being made to pull up performance in this regard in these companies.

Over burden removal


As far as over burden removal is concerned, CIL as a whole has achieved a growth of 6.3 per cent. In this segment, the highest growth of 19.8 per cent has been achieved by WCL, followed by SECL (13.7%), ECL (12.4%), MCL (5.8%). However, only ECL, BCCL and WCL have achieved their quarterly target.

Coking coal production


Production of metallurgical coking coal witnessed an increase of 14.3 per cent with BCCL reporting a growth of 22.4 per cent followed by CCL 11.5 per cent. The aggregate quantity produced in the first quarter is 2.09 million tonnes as against 1.82 million tonnes produced in the same period last year.

Coal stocks


Coal stocks during the first quarter has reduced from a level of 48.05 million tonnes as on 01.04.09 to 44.09 MT as on 30.06.09. The stock decretion during the first quarter has been 3.96 million tonnes. Coal stocks as on 30.06.08 was 40.77 million tonnes.