State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) will invest Rs 7,600 crore to develop Kusmunda mine to a production capacity of about 50 million tonne per annum — the largest in the country. At present, India's largest mine has a total production capacity of 35 mt.
If achieved, CIL officials said this South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) mine would be one of the largest in the world. "At present, there are open cast mines with capacities of about 40 million tonne in China, but if SECL manages to expand its present capacity from 15 to 50 million tonne in the next few years, it is likely to be one of the largest globally," said a senior CIL official, requesting anonymity.
"The plan includes ramping up railway capacity for evacuating this coal. The investment figure is included in the project cost. The production capacity of 50 million tonne will be achieved through existing techniques of shove-dumper mix and in-pit conveyors, which will transport the coal from the mine to the stockyard," he added. At present, Gevra under SECL, which is a subsidiary of CIL, is the largest in India. It has a total production capacity of about 30 mtpa.
CIL has 148 projects at various stages of implementation of which 90 have already received forest and environment clearance, and 134 are expected to contribute 334 million tonne by 2017.
The company has identified 126 new projects with a targeted capacity of 438 million tonne per annum in the Twelfth Five Year Plan period. Project reports of 28 of these have already been prepared, with 60 projects expected to contribute 88 million tonne by 2017.
Coal demand is expected to grow by 7.09% till 2016-17 and total demand for coal during the period will be 980 million tonne, up from 769 million tonne during 203-14. By 2017, domestic production is likely to touch 795 million tonne of which Coal India is expected to supply 615 million tonne — 77% of total production.
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