Parliament Question: Domestic Coking Coal Production

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1773 ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026 DOMESTIC COKING COAL PRODUCTION

1773. Shri Baijayant Panda:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

(a) the quantity of domestic raw and coking coal produced during the current financial year and the production targets fixed for the next three financial years;

(b) the percentage of domestic coking coal demand met through indigenous production vis-à-vis imports;

(c) the progress made under Mission Coking Coal to enhance raw material security for the steel sector;

(d) the initiatives taken by the Government to increase coking coal blending and reduce import dependence; and

(e) whether any exploration, beneficiation or production expansion initiatives have been undertaken in coal-bearing regions including the State of Odisha and if so, the details thereof and the expected contribution of such initiatives towards strengthening domestic coking coal availability? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL AND MINES (SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY)

(a): The total domestic raw coal production during the current financial year (FY 2026–27), up to June 2026, is 232.49 MT (prov.), while the total domestic coking coal production during the same period is 13.32 MT (prov.).

The raw coal production targets for the next three financial years are as follows:

FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 FY 2030 Targeted Coal Production 1112 1378 1450 1533 (in million tonnes)

(b): Steel sector is the primary consumer of coking coal in India. In steel sector, about 10 percent of coking coal demand is met through domestic coking coal while around 90% requirement is met through imports.

(c): The progress made under the Coking Coal Mission includes: • 2 coking coal washeries with an aggregate capacity of 7.5 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) have been commissioned since FY 2022 while 7 new coking coal washeries with an aggregate capacity of 19.5 MTPA are planned by Coal India Limited (CIL) for commissioning by FY 2030.

• 1 existing coking coal washery has been monetized to enhance the availability of washed coking coal for the steel sector.

1• 22 coking coal blocks have been auctioned to promote private sector participation and augment domestic production. • 11 discontinued coking coal mines of Coal India Limited have been offered to the private sector under the Revenue Sharing model for early operationalisation.

• A new sub-sector, "Steel using Coking Coal through Washery Developer & Operator

(WDO) route", was introduced under the non-regulated sector (NRS) linkage auctions, in March 2024, to facilitate greater use of domestic coking coal and increase the availability of washed coking coal.

(d): The initiatives taken by the Government to increase coking coal blending and to reduce

import dependence include: i. Development of seven new coking coal washeries with an aggregate capacity of 19.5 MTPA by FY 2030. ii. Revival and modernization of existing washeries, iii. Promoting stamp charging technology in the steel sector, which enables higher blending of domestic coking coal while maintaining coke quality. These measures are expected to increase domestic coking coal blending in steel production from about 10% to 30% by FY 2030.

iv. The Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) has been increased upto 100% of the normative requirement, in the cases where the ACQ was either reduced to 90% of normative requirement (non-coastal power plants) or where the ACQ was reduced to 70% of normative requirement (coastal power plants).

v. Tenure of coking coal linkages in the NRS linkage auction has been revised upto 30 years. vi. It has been decided to meet the full Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) requirement of all the existing linkage holders of Power Sector, by making coal available irrespective of the trigger level and ACQ levels.

vii. A sub-sector ‘Steel using Coking coal through WDO route’ has been created in March, 2024 under the NRS linkage auctions which will lead to increase in the domestic coking coal consumption and also increase availability of washed coking coal in the country, thereby, reducing coking coal imports.

viii. Imported Coal Based (ICB) Plants have been allowed to secure coal under the Revised SHAKTI Policy, 2025. ix. Coal linkages under the recently created Coal SETU window under the Non- Regulated Sector linkage auctions shall increase the availability of washed coal in the country and consequently lead to reduction in coal imports.

(e): Out of 95 coking coal blocks of Coal India Limited (CIL), 84 blocks have been fully explored, while the remaining 11 blocks are under exploration, partly explored or regionally explored. Since FY 2023-24, CMPDI has taken up exploration of 15 new coking coal blocks under the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) and National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) covering about 143 sq. km.

Further, as on 30.06.2026, 22 coking coal blocks have been allocated, of which 13 blocks were fully explored and 09 were partially explored at the time of allocation. Of the partially explored blocks, exploration has been completed in 02 blocks, establishing geological reserves of about 437 Million Tonnes. No coking coal-bearing area has been identified, nor has any coking coal block been allocated, in the State of Odisha.

To enhance the availability of quality domestic coking coal, 02 coking coal washeries with an aggregate capacity of 7.5 MTPA have been commissioned since FY 2022, 01 existing coking coal washery with a capacity of 2 MTPA has been monetized, and 07 new coking coal washeries with an aggregate capacity of 19.5 MTPA are expected to be established by Coal India Limited by FY 2030.

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