Western Coalfields reports growth after a gap of five years

Posts 3.6% growth in output at 41.15 mn tonnes during 2014-15 against 39.73 mn tonnes in previous financial year

Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) today reported 3.6 per cent growth in coal production at 41.15 million tonnes (MT) during 2014-15 as against 39.73 MT in the previous financial year.

WCL, the Nagpur-based mini-ratna central PSU and a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), also recorded an increase in offtake of coal, after a span of five years, in the last fiscal, the company said in a statement.

WCL dispatched 41.25 MT coal, registering a growth of 3.3 per cent over 39.95 MT in the corresponding period.

The last growth in coal production over corresponding year was recorded in 2009-10 and since then, the production was in the negative zone.

WCL, which posted operational loss in last three consecutive fiscals, recorded operational profit on strength of its physical performance, the company said without disclosing figures.

The firm also set up three new coal projects of seven MT per annum capacity during 2014-15 and has set a target to establish 10 new coal projects of 16.62 MT per annum capacity during 2015-16, it said.

The over-burden removal of 122.91 million cubic metres (mcm) during FY14 was 2.36 per cent over last year's 120.08 mcm.

Productivity of underground mines registered a growth of 4.67 per cent at 1.12 tonnes per shift as compared 1.07 tonnes per shift in 2013-14.

Productivity of open-cast mines was recorded at 5.71 tonnes/shift which was 121.48 per cent more than the targeted 4.70 tonnes/shift and has registered a growth of 11.52 per cent over last year's 5.12 tonnes/shift.