Lok Sabha Question No. 1213 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-14
Subject: Coal Import
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1213

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.12.2022

## Coal Import

1213. SHRI S.VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) the quantum of coal imported during the last five years;
- (b) the details of the names of the companies who have been awarded tenders for import of coal after Jan., 2022 including the quantum of coal imported after Jan., 2022; and
- (c) the details of the quantum of imported coal used after Jan., 2022, company-wise along with the quantum of imported coal left unused after Jan., 2022?

## Answer

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a): The quantum of coal imported during last five years are given below:

| Year    |   Quantity (in Million Tonnes) |
|---------|--------------------------------|
| 2017-18 |                         208.25 |
| 2018-19 |                         235.35 |
| 2019-20 |                         248.54 |
| 2020-21 |                         215.25 |
| 2021-22 |                         208.93 |

(b)&(c): As per the current import policy, coal is kept under Open General License (OGL) and consumers are free to import coal from the source of their choice as per their requirement and commercial consideration. Government of India does not interfere in this matter. Coal is imported by various industries such as Power sector,  Steel  Industry,  Cement  Industry,  Paper  &  Pulp  industry,  Aluminium Industry  etc.  Power  sector  imports  coal  for  imported  coal-based  (ICB)  power plants which are so designed and also for domestic coal-based power plants for blending purpose. While import of coal is being done by individual utilities/respective State/Central Governments, it was also decided on 27.05.2022 that Coal India Limited (CIL) would import coal for blending purpose on  behalf  of  Thermal  Power  Plants  (TPP)  of  State  GENCOs  and  Independent Power  Plants  (IPP) . Accordingly,  CIL  awarded  this  work  to  M/s.  GHV-BDEDIL(JV) which imported about 3.58 lakh tonne of coal on behalf TPPs of State GENCOs and IPPs after January, 2022.

Total  quantum  of  coal  imported  from  January,  2022  to  September,  2022,  is 179.95 million tonnes. The details of the coal imported from January, 2022 to September, 2022 are given below: -

| Sl. No.   | Months (From January to September, 2022   |   Import of Coal (Million Tonne) |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1.        | January                                   |                            12.44 |
| 2.        | February                                  |                            13.26 |
| 3.        | March                                     |                            22.35 |
| 4.        | April                                     |                            19.28 |
| 5.        | May                                       |                            20.65 |
| 6.        | June                                      |                            27.24 |
| 7.        | July                                      |                            23.11 |
| 8.        | August                                    |                            21.75 |
| 9.        | September                                 |                            19.87 |
| Total     | Total                                     |                           179.95 |

The  Ministry  does  not  maintain  stock  positions  of  imported  coal  of  different sectors. However, as informed by CEA, the stock of imported coal available at the power plants as on 31.01.2022 was 1.1 MT and as on 31.10.2022 was 6.3 MT.

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