State-run Coal India has posted almost flat year-on-year production growth for the financial year 2024-25, and its total output of 781.1 million tonnes (mt) during the period missed the target by a wide margin.
The world’s largest coal miner’s production in FY25 grew only 1 per cent from 773.6 mt during FY24, according to the company’s stock exchange filing on Tuesday.
For FY25, the production target for CIL was 838 mt. Later, the company reduced it to around 823 mt, due to various reasons, including delays in land, environmental and other clearances.
In the last financial year, for two Coal India subsidiaries — South Eastern Coalfields (SECL) and Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL) — production fell 10.6 per cent and 1.4 per cent y-o-y to 167.5 mt and 40.5 mt, respectively, during FY25.
Production of Northern Coalfields (NCL) rose 2.1 per cent y-o-y to 139 mt, while for Western Coalfield (WCL) output remained the same at 69.1 mt.
During the last financial year (FY25), production of CIL subsidiaries was hit due to heavy rainfall, slowdown in coal offtake and delays in different clearances.
Offtake higher
CIL’s coal offtake for FY25 increased 1.3 per cent y-o-y to 763.2 mt from 753.5 mt in FY24, according to the filing. Coal India earlier attributed the slowdown in offtake to a rake shortage at coal mines.
Notably, speaking at an event to celebrate the coal behemoth’s 50th Foundation Day in November last year, its Chairman PM Prasad had said CIL might end FY25 with a production shortfall of around 15 mt against the production target of 838 mt due to delays in land, environmental and other clearances.
“Our target, though it was 838 mt, we have committed to the Ministry (Coal Ministry) of around 822-823 mt, because of various reasons of land, environmental and other clearances,” Prasad had said.
However, in January this year, he said, on the sidelines of the 11th edition of the Asian Mining Congress in Kolkata, that CIL was “still planning to produce 806-810 mt of coal for FY25. We are drilling in some mega mines. But we cannot cover it in the next 75 days.”
For FY26, CIL’s production target is around 900 mt.
On Tuesday, Coal India’s scrip ended the day at ₹397.25 apiece on the BSE, down 0.30 per cent from the previous close.
