Lok Sabha Question No. 3434 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-23
Subject: Import of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Arun Sao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No.3434

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23/03/2022

## Import of Coal

3434. SHRI ARUN SAO:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) whether coal is imported for the coal based power plants in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether coal import has reduced due to increase in supply of coal by the Coal India Limited (CIL) during the last few years;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government for substituting domestic coal as an alternative for the imported coal?

## Answer

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

(a)&(b): Yes, Sir. The details of coal imported by coal based power plants during the last five years and current year is given below:-

(in Million tonnes)

| Year                |   Imported coal based power plants |   Blended coal based power plants |   Total coal import by Power Plants |
|---------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 2016-17             |                              46.3  |                             19.87 |                               66.17 |
| 2017-18             |                              39.37 |                             17.04 |                               56.41 |
| 2018-19             |                              40.29 |                             21.37 |                               61.66 |
| 2019-20             |                              45.47 |                             23.75 |                               69.22 |
| 2020-21             |                              35.08 |                             10.39 |                               45.47 |
| 2021-22 Upto Jan.22 |                              16.08 |                              6.65 |                               22.73 |

(c)&(d ): Due  to  increased  availability  of  coal  on  account  of  policy measures  taken  to  increase  domestic  coal  production,  total  coal  import declined  from  248.54  MT  in  2019-20  to  215.25  MT  in  2020-21.  Further, during April 2021-January 2022, coal import has further decreased to the level  of  173.32  MT  as  compared  to  180.56  MT  during  the  corresponding period of previous year.

Coal import by Power sector declined from 69.22 MT in 2019-20 to 45.47 MT in 2020-21. Further, during April 2021-January 2022, coal import by Power Sector  has  decreased  to  the  level  of  22.73  MT  as  compared  to  39.01  MT during the corresponding period of previous year.

The  share  of  coal  supply  by  CIL,  which  was  around  60.8%  of  total consumption  of  coal    in  2019-20,  increased  to  63.3%  in  2020-21  and further to 64.3% in 2021-22 (April- January 2022).

(e): An  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  (IMC)  has  been  constituted  in  the Ministry of Coal for the purposed of coal import substitution. The representatives  from  Ministry  of  Power,  Ministry  of  Railways,  Ministry  of Shipping, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Micro, Small &  Medium  Enterprises  (MSME),  Department  for  Promotion  of  Industry  & Internal  Trade  (DPIIT),  Central  Electricity  Authority  (CEA),  coal  companies and Ports are members of this IMC. This Committee provides a platform for discussions  on  a  larger  forum  with  the  Administrative  Ministries  so  as  to guide  them  to  encourage  the  coal  consumers  of  their  respective  sector  to eliminate  imports  of  coal.  On  the  directions  of  the  IMC,  an  Import  Data System  has  been  developed  by  Ministry  of  Coal  to  enable  the  Ministry  to track the imports of coal.

The Annual Contracted Quantity (ACQ) of power plants has been increased upto 100% of the normative requirement, in the cases where the ACQ was reduced to 90% of normative requirement (non-coastal) or where the ACQ was reduced to 70% of normative requirement (coastal power plants). The increase in ACQ would ensure supply of more domestic coal to the power plants.

In addition to the above, some other measures like Introduction of Facility of Usance LC (Letter of Credit) payment mechanism to help the consumer avail credit facility from bank and Special Spot auction scheme for coal importers including the traders, have been introduced to help curtail the imports of coal.

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