 "Coal, fossil fuel")
Chhattisgarh-based South Eastern Coalfields (SECL) remained a runner-up in terms of coal production among eight entities of the state-run Coal India (CIL) in the financial year 2022-23.
With 193.3 million tonnes (mt) of output in FY23, neighbouring Odisha-based Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) continued to become the largest coal-producing company in the country for a second successive financial year.
The SECL was holding the top position till FY21. Its output, however, dropped to 142.5 mt in FY22, only to be overtaken by MCL with coal production of 168.2 mt.
The SECL and MCL had set a target to produce 182 mt and 173 mt of coal, respectively, in FY23. Despite its production growing by over 17 per cent, the SECL could record an output of 167 mt in 2022-23.
The MCL authorities are elated with the feat and retain the top position in coal production for the second year in a row.
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“We are happy to share that MCL has achieved all its targets much ahead of schedule and have contributed to Coal India surpassing its target of 700 mt set for FY23,” MCL’s Chairman and Managing Director O P Singh said. Ninety seven per cent of total production of MCL was through eco-friendly equipment surface miners, he said.
Though MCL’s growth was less than SECL’s at 15 per cent, the company produced 193.3 mt of coal, which was up by about 20 mt of the target and about 26 mt over the previous year. The SECL’s growth in terms of volume was close to MCL at 24.5 mt compared to the previous year.
SECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) Prem Sagar Mishra termed the company’s performance as significant. “The company has vast potential. The dream is big, and the journey continues.”
The company removed a record 264.10 million cubic meters of Overburden Removal (OBR), a 35 per cent rise year-on-year. Mishra said OBR was a pre-coal extraction process and would help the SECL achieve higher production targets in the coming times.
However, SECL’s Gevra project set a record in FY23 by becoming the country's maiden mine to surpass 50 mt of coal production. The total output from the project was pegged at 52.5 mt for FY23.
