Coal Mines

The government is planning to begin the auction of offshore mineral blocks in the next two to three months and around 10 such mines are likely to be auctioned in the first phase, coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy said on Thursday. The government amended the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, to provide an auction route for awarding production leases for offshore minerals. Offshore minerals are located deep within the earth's crust and are difficult to extract compared to onshore minerals. Speaking to media after the inauguration of mines ministry pavilion at India International Trade Fair, Reddy said the government plans "to auction offshore minerals blocks in two to three months". India's offshore mineral reserves include gold, diamond, copper, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements. The offshore auctions will help increase the availability of these minerals in India and reduce dependence on imports. The minister further said

Reddy also highlighted the need to decrease coal imports. "We are increasing coal production in view of the rise in imports over the past two months," he said

The government on Friday said that 44 bids have been received for 67 coal blocks put for sale under the 10th round of commercial mines auction. A total of 44 bids were submitted in physical form. The coal ministry in June put on sale 67 coal mines for auction under the 10th round of commercial mines auction. "The substantial number of bids underscores the continued interest and participation from stakeholders in India's evolving coal sector," the coal ministry said in a statement. The auction process has drawn considerable participation from small and medium-sized players, indicating the inclusive nature of the auction process. This inclusivity highlights that the reforms in the coal sector have been well received across the industry, regardless of the size of the players. The online bids received during the auction process, along with the offline bids will be opened on Monday. The strong response to this round of auctions is a significant step towards making the country self-rel

Iran said Tuesday it believes the remaining workers trapped by an explosion at a coal mine in the country's east have died, bringing the death toll in the disaster to at least 49. A provincial emergency official, Mohammad Ali Akhoundi, gave the death toll in a report carried by Iranian state television from the mine in Tabas. Figures for the numbers of miners inside the mine at the time have fluctuated since the methane gas leak Saturday sparked an explosion.

Rescuers on Monday recovered the bodies of more workers killed in an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, bringing the death toll in the disaster to at least 38, officials said. Another 14 miners are still believed to be trapped below ground. The blast struck the coal mine in Tabas, about 540 km (335 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran, on Saturday night. On Sunday, weeping miners stood alongside mine cars that brought up the bodies of their colleagues, covered in coal dust. The state-run IRNA news agency on Monday reported the new death toll from the blast, as well as the number of missing. Survivors interviewed by Iranian state television, still smudged in coal dust, described chaotic scenes after the blast. We were in the mine, working. Suddenly there was some smoke rising...then I noticed I had difficulty breathing," said one miner who was not identified by state TV. "I jumped off from the workshop and I scrambled until I reached somewhere (safe). My friends (remained)

Ends nearly 20-year practice of supply based on contracted capacity

The government on Tuesday said of the 28 coal mining projects identified to be operated through mining operators-cum-developers, 18 mines have been awarded to leading private firms. The engagement of these mining developers-cum-operators (MDOs) promises to make substantial contributions to coal production, ensuring both enhanced output and operational excellence. "Initially, CIL (Coal India) identified 15 coal mine projects with a combined capacity of 168 MT (million tonnes) for MDO implementation. This number has now expanded to 28 projects (18 opencast and 10 underground mines) with a total capacity of 257 MT. As of today, 18 mines have been awarded to leading private parties, marking a significant milestone in this ambitious endeavour," the coal ministry said in a statement. The primary goal of engaging MDOs is to significantly increase coal production by streamlining operations, enhancing productivity, and reducing mining costs. These operators, selected through open global ..

With more commercial mines being auctioned, the DGMS has started discussions with captive and commercial coal block operators on mine safety, an official said on Sunday. The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) emphasises ensuring adherence to safety norms among new players. "We see more captive and commercial mines coming into production every year. So, we are actively engaging in consultation with the mine operators so that they understand the rules and regulations that have to be followed for mine safety," DGMS Director General Prabhat Kumar said at the Mines Safety Award 2024 event. In the last nine rounds, the Ministry of Coal has auctioned 107 blocks with a peak-rated capacity of 256 MT. So far, 11 commercial coal blocks have been operationalised. Meanwhile, Coal India, which is diversifying into the non-coal sector, will actively participate in more auctions of critical mineral blocks, including lithium, to capitalise on the battery value chain. "We have taken one min

CIL won the bid by quoting a mining premium of 150.05 per cent of the value of the mineral despatch, which it will pay to the State of Madhya Pradesh

Peak demand for power in India's hot, arid northern plains hit a record earlier this week, even as the government said it continues to implement measures to meet high energy consumption

Several Indian companies including Tata Power, Adani, and the Essar group had acquired coal mines overseas as part of their strategy to secure their raw material supplies

Twenty coal mines are likely to become operational by the end of this year, an official source said. This assumes significance with peak power demand in the country likely to cross 400 GW by 2030. These 20 coal blocks which include seven blocks of state-owned Coal India and three blocks of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) will contribute another 100 million tonnes (MT) in three to four years, the source said. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. SCCL is a government coal mining company jointly owned by the Telangana government and the Centre on a 51:49 equity basis. The country has for the first time crossed the milestone of 1 billion tonnes of coal and lignite production in 2023-24, Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi had said. The country is not very far from its next target to eliminate coal imports by 2025-26, he had said. The country's total coal and lignite output was 937 MT in the 2022-23 fiscal year, as per official figures. In FY24

Coal accounts for about 75% of India's power generation, with coal-fired plants accounting for more than three quarters of India's use of the polluting fuel

Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Rungta Sons are among the 27 companies which have submitted bids for coal blocks put up for commercial mines auction, the government said on Tuesday. "A total of 27 companies including major companies like Tata Steel Ltd, JSW Steel Ltd, Rungta Sons Pvt Ltd., etc. have submitted their bids in the auction process," the coal ministry said in a statement. Other companies which submitted bids include ACC Ltdd, J K Cement and Thriveni Earthmovers. A total of 27 coal mines have been put up for auction in the ninth round of auction. A total of 33 bids were received for 13 coal mines. Under the second attempt of the seventh round of auction, a total of five coal mines were put up for auction and seven bids were received against three coal mines, the coal ministry said. "The online bids were decrypted and opened electronically in the presence of the bidders. Subsequently, sealed envelopes containing offline bid documents were also opened in the presence of bidders

The miner acquired the Blackwater and Daunia mines from BHP Group in a $4.1 billion deal last October, and expects the acquisition to complete in early April

Hundreds of rescuers on Wednesday pressed ahead with efforts to search for at least nine workers trapped at a gold mine in eastern Turkiye that was engulfed by a massive landslide. The landslide struck the Copler mine in the town of Ilic in Turkiye's mountainous Erzincan province on Tuesday. Footage seemingly shot by a worker showed a huge mass of earth rushing down a gully, overrunning everything in its path. The landslide involved a mound of soil extracted from the mine, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. Some 800 search and rescue personnel, including police and military teams, mine rescuers and volunteers, were deployed to find the mine workers, Yerlikaya said early Wednesday. Other workers at the mine have also joined the efforts to rescue their colleagues, while families of the missing waited at an area close to the mine for news of their loved ones, Haberturk television reported. An investigation into the disaster has been launched. Experts, meanwhile, have warned that t

The government has outlined timelines for various activities involved in the process, accompanied by penalties for delays attributable to the bidder

State-owned Coal India Ltd aims to take the total number of e-vehicles at its mines to 681 by FY2025-26 from 178 at present, the government said on Wednesday. Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said that Coal India Ltd is asserting on hiring electric vehicles at different mines and subsidiary headquarters. The present number of e-vehicles in Coal India Limited is 178, he said. The total target for e-vehicles in FY26 is 681, the minister said. Coal India Limited has taken various initiatives for reduction of carbon emission in mining operations which includes deployment of e-vehicles in all its subsidiary companies, he said. CIL accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said those coal mines in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region and WCL areas which are economically not viable, produce low-quality coal, and where mining is almost stopped can be used for coal gasification projects. He was addressing a session on 'coal gasification' at the Advantage Vidarbha event in Nagpur city which was attended by coal secretary Amritlal Meena, Niti Aayog member VK Saraswat and Coal India Limited (CIL) chairman PM Prasad among others. During his speech, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways asked the CIL and the Coal Ministry whether "coal mines which are economically not viable and those with low-quality coal and where mining is almost stopped in Vidarbha and Western Coal Fields (WCL) areas" could be used for coal gasification projects. He also pitched for the use of non-viable coal blocks and low-quality ones under WCL areas for coal gasification. The Union minister backed public-private partnerships in coal gasification

The government on Friday said it has identified 299 mines as abandoned, discontinued, or closed so far and Coal India Ltd has taken proactive steps towards the closure of these mines. In addition, an expert committee has been appointed to review the existing mine plan guidelines to strengthen the mine closure framework and to adopt best international practices. "A total of 169 pre-2009 and 130 post-2009 mines, considered abandoned, discontinued, or closed, have been identified. "Of these, 68 pre-2009 mines are marked for final closure, with 63 Final Mine Closure Plans (FMCPs) diligently prepared. Additionally, 14 pre-2009 mines are designated for temporary closure, with comprehensive Temporary Mine Closure Plans (TMCPs) developed for each," the coal ministry said in a statement. Mines closed before 2009 often lacked a structured closure framework, leading to non-scientific closures. Acknowledging the physical hazards and environmental consequences associated with these abandoned .