Question : Coking Coal

(a) the details of coking coal produced in the country during the last three years and the current year;
(b) whether there is any sharp any decline in the coking coal reserves in the country and if so the details thereof and reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government has recently signed MoU to import coking coal and if so, the details thereof;
(d) the target set for production of coking coal during the last three years;
(e) whether there is a huge difference in the demand and production of coking coal; and
(f) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to fill this gap?

MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES
(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a):The details of coking coal production during last three years are given below:-
Year 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-20 #
Production of Coking Coal (MT) 40.15 42.72 52.84 11.77
# upto July, 2020

(b):No. Sir, There is no decline in coking coal resource in the country. As per GSI Coal Inventory of Coking-Coal resources in India as on 01.04.2019 is about 35.004 billion tonnes as compared to 29.35 billion tonnes as on 01.04.2012
(c):In the presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and Hon’ble President of the Russian Federation, a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed on 4-Sep-2019 between Coal India Limited and Far East Investment & Export Agency (FEIEA - a Russian Govt. agency). This relationship is aimed to leverage the bilateral relations to venture into the business of acquisition, development and operation of coking coal assets in the Far East Region of Russia.





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(d): the target set for production of coal in Coal India Limited (CIL) during the last three years is given below:-

(in MT)
Year 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
CIL 38.74 32.96 56.62



(e):Though total coking coal demand was 62.54 MT and domestic production 52.84 MT in 2019-20, most of it had a very high ash content making it redundant in the manufacture of steel which resulted in import of 51.83 MT of coking coal during the year.

(f):Following steps are being taken by CIL for augmenting coking coal production:
i) Implementation of Jharia Master Action Plan by Jharia Rehabilitation & Development Authority (JRDA).
ii) Sifting of encroachers under the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) command area
iii) Capacity expansion/modernization of mines of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) like Karo OC
iv) Opening of 4 Coking /Washery grade coal producing mines of CCL in near future as given below:

v) Further, in an effort to bring more coal under the coking coal category, coal beyond 35% ash content which had some coking properties were brought into the coking fold by a Government of India notification wherein 2 new grades were added, namely Washery V (ash content 35–42%) and Washery VI (ash content 42 – 49%).

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