Coal India Limited (CIL) on Thursday said it clocked 15.1 per cent growth in coal supplies to the country's thermal power plants during April-July of the current fiscal, compared to same period last year.
The increased supply was a result of higher rake loading to power sector which witnessed a growth of 12.5 per cent during the period.
Coal production and total off-take also steamed ahead with growths of 14.1 per cent and 11 per cent respectively during April-July period on a year-on-year comparison, it said in a statement.
Once again all the subsidiaries of the state owned coal mining monolith posted positive growth in production and coal supplies.
"We are doing the best we could to meet the demand of the power sector by supplying increased quantities of coal. So far, we have been able to sustain the double digit growth trend in the three important parametres of production, off-take and supplies to power sector, since the beginning of the fiscal, stated an official of the company adding "the monsoon months are challenging but we are garnering our best efforts to continue the same trend".
"Coal supplies by the miner to thermal power stations of the country perked up to 161.71 million tonnes (mt) during the four months of the current fiscal which is an increase of 21.21 mt in volume terms compared to 140.50 mt same period last year, marking 15.1 per cent growth," the statement said.
Coal stocks at the power utilities doubled to 15.78 mt ending July 2018 compared to 7.3 mt as of October 2017.
CIL's coal production during April-July 2018 at 177.43 mt registered a volume growth of 21.90 mt against 155.53 mt produced during same period last fiscal, the growth being 14.1 per cent.
Overall coal off-take during the first four months of the FY 2019 raced ahead to 201.68 mt up by nearly 20 mt for the comparable period recording a growth of 11 per cent. Coal off-take during April-July 2017 was 181.71 mt.
CIL as whole produced 40.56 mt of coal in July 2018, reflecting an increase of 3.87 mt in absolute terms compared to 36.69 mt same month last year.
Off-take at 48.25 mt for July 2018 was up by 3.96 mt compared to June 2017 when coal off-take was 44.29 mt.
The close coordination efforts between Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Railways and CIL for enhanced evacuation of coal resulted in 12.5 per cent growth in average rake loading, per day, to power sector during April-July 2018, the miner said.
CIL as whole loaded 210.6 rakes on an average during the referred period to power sector against 187.2 rakes during similar period last year which is 23.4 rakes more per day.
"Total rake loading at 232.4 rakes per day during April-July 2018 recorded a growth of 6.8 per cent against 217.6 rakes, same period last fiscal. The absolute increase is 14.8 rakes per day," the statement said.
The company liquidated 24.25 mt of its pit head coal stock during the first four months of FY 2019. The stock pile stood at 31.30 mt at the end of July 2018 which at the beginning of the fiscal 2018-19 was 55.55 mt.
--IANS
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