Lok Sabha Question No. 287 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-23
Subject: Coal Supply to Aluminium Industry
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *287 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2022

## Coal Supply to Aluminium Industry

## *287. SHRI T.R. BAALU:

## Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning for immediate resumption of adequate coal rakes for the highly power- intensive aluminium industry;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Indian aluminium industry continues to see depleting coal stocks of only 3-4 days against the prescribed level of 15 days for the sector; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

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

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## Statement referred in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 287 for Answer on 23.03.2022 asked by SHRI T.R. BAALU:

(a) and (b): The coal has been supplied to Aluminium industry by railway rakes as per details mentioned below:

(in rakes/day)

| Month                       |   Domestic coal rakes |   Imported coal rakes |   Total Coal rakes |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
| April-21                    |                  19.2 |                   2.1 |               21.3 |
| May-21                      |                  21.5 |                   1.5 |               23   |
| June-21                     |                  23.9 |                   1.7 |               25.6 |
| July-21                     |                  21.9 |                   2.3 |               24.2 |
| August-21                   |                  20.5 |                   2.1 |               22.6 |
| September-21                |                  16.1 |                   1.7 |               17.8 |
| October-21                  |                  15.8 |                   3   |               18.8 |
| November-21                 |                  21.8 |                   4.2 |               26   |
| December-21                 |                  19.4 |                   3.3 |               22.7 |
| January-22                  |                  19.2 |                   2.4 |               21.6 |
| February-22                 |                  15.3 |                   3.3 |               18.6 |
| March-22 (till 15 th March) |                  15.7 |                   2.7 |               18.4 |
| Total                       |                  19.2 |                   2.5 |               21.7 |

The  coal  supplies  to  Non-Power  sector  (including  Aluminium  industry)  is  made through railways rakes as well as other modes like road etc. Coal India Limited (CIL) has  supplied  112.04  Million  tonnes(MT)  of  coal  in  2021-22  (upto  Feb'22)  to  NonPower sector. Coal Supplies to the Non-power sector in the corresponding period in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 from CIL were 102.83 MT, 106.38 MT and 116.4 MT respectively.  Aluminium  industry  also  meets  its  coal  demand  through  imports  for which railway rakes are provided at ports.

(c) and (d): The coal stock at different Captive Power Plants of Aluminium sector have  fluctuated  depending  on  demand-supply  scenario.  It  has  been  informed  by Ministry of Mines that the coal stock at NALCO plants have depleted to level of 10 days whereas in case of BALCO, the coal stock has improved from the low of 3-4 days in Aug-September 2021 to present levels of 9-10 days. The coal stock at the Thermal Power Plants of the country are sufficient for around 12 days and regular supplies are maintained to meet the power generation requirement.

To boost supplies to Non-Power Sector, CIL has recently conducted Non-Regulated Sector Linkage auction (Tranche-V) for long term supply of coal to the consumers of various  non-regulated  sector  consumers  including  those  in  Aluminum  Industry  in which around 50 MT of Annual Contracted Quantity have been booked.

Besides, e-auction of coal is also being conducted regularly by coal companies to meet  the demand  of  different  industries.  Upto  Feb'22,  around  84  MT  of  coal  has been offered to  non-power sector in  the  current fiscal out  of  which  around  59  MT coal has been booked through the e-auction window.

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