Lok Sabha Question No. 3140 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-17
Subject: Mining of Superior Grade Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: JOSE K. MANI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3140 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2015

## Mining of Superior Grade Coal

3140. SHRI JOSE K. MANI:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a):  the percentage of coal being exploited at present, grade-wise;
- (b):  whether  mining  of  superior  grade  coal  with  low  ash  content  is  less  as compared to other grades of coal;
- (c):  if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (d):  the steps being taken by the Government to increase the mining of superior grade coal?

## Answer

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF COAL, POWER  AND NEW & RENEWABLE  ENERGY

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a): As  per  Provisional  Coal Statistics  2014-15,  the  Grade-wise  all  India  raw  coal production  of  Coking  coal  was  57.45  Mte.  and  Non-Coking  coal  was  554.98  Mte during the year 2014-15. The details of grade-wise production of coal are given in the table.

| Grade-wise coal production during the year 2014-15   | Grade-wise coal production during the year 2014-15   | Grade-wise coal production during the year 2014-15   | Grade-wise coal production during the year 2014-15   | Grade-wise coal production during the year 2014-15   | Grade-wise coal production during the year 2014-15   |
|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| Coking Coal                                          | Coking Coal                                          | Coking Coal                                          | Non-Coking Coal                                      | Non-Coking Coal                                      | Non-Coking Coal                                      |
| Grade                                                | Production                                           | %age                                                 | Grade                                                | Production                                           | %age                                                 |
| Steel-1                                              | 0.05                                                 | 0.09                                                 | 1                                                    | 5.948                                                | 1.07                                                 |
| Steel -II                                            | 0.456                                                | 0.79                                                 | 2                                                    | 0.566                                                | 0.10                                                 |
| SC-I                                                 | 0.13                                                 | 0.23                                                 | 3                                                    | 5.468                                                | 0.99                                                 |
| Wash-I                                               | 0.115                                                | 0.20                                                 | 4                                                    | 19.197                                               | 3.46                                                 |
| Wash-II                                              | 2.228                                                | 3.88                                                 | 5                                                    | 14.645                                               | 2.64                                                 |
| Wash-III                                             | 12.499                                               | 21.76                                                | 6                                                    | 22.654                                               | 4.08                                                 |
| Wash-IV                                              | 41.973                                               | 73.06                                                | 7                                                    | 38.212                                               | 6.89                                                 |
| SLV-I                                                | 0                                                    | 0.00                                                 | 8                                                    | 30.325                                               | 5.46                                                 |
| Total                                                | 57.451                                               | 100.00                                               | 9                                                    | 52.535                                               | 9.47                                                 |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 10                                                   | 64.412                                               | 11.61                                                |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 11                                                   | 131.004                                              | 23.61                                                |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 12                                                   | 79.167                                               | 14.26                                                |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 13                                                   | 76.062                                               | 13.71                                                |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 14                                                   | 5.054                                                | 0.91                                                 |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 15                                                   | 3.826                                                | 0.69                                                 |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 16                                                   | 2.627                                                | 0.47                                                 |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | 17                                                   | 3.176                                                | 0.57                                                 |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | UNG                                                  | 0.106                                                | 0.02                                                 |
|                                                      |                                                      |                                                      | Total                                                | 554.984                                              | 100.00                                               |

(b)&(c): In India, Coking coal is graded on the basis of ash content while Non-coking coal  is  graded  on  the  basis  of  gross  calorific  value.  Grading  of  coking  coal  is  as follows:-

| Grade          | Ash Content          |
|----------------|----------------------|
| Steel Gr I     | Ash content <15%     |
| Steel Gr II    | 15%<=Ash content<18% |
| Washery Gr I   | 18%<=Ash content<21% |
| Washery Gr II  | 21%<=Ash content<24% |
| Washery Gr III | 24%<=Ash content<28% |
| Washery Gr IV  | 28%<=Ash content<35% |

As  is  evident  from  the  table  given  in  reply  to  part  (a),  so  far  as  coking  coal  is concerned  maximum production is  witnessed  in  wash  III  and  wash  IV  category  of coal  which  have  an  ash  content  of  24-28%  and  28-35%,  respectively.  Similarly in raw  coal,  the  G-8  to  G-13  grades  together  have  maximum  production  (reference table in reply to (a).

(d): The focus of the Government is on improvingdomestic production of coal which include efforts to expedite clearances, pursuing with State Government for help in expediting  land  acquisition  and  coordinated  effort  with  Railways  for  movement  of coal.  Steps  have  been  taken  by  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)  and  its  subsidiaries  to improve the production and quality of coal by adopting latest available technologies such  as  Continuous  Miners,  Selective  Mining,  Surface  Miners  and  clean  Coal Technologies, Coal sizing and sampling technologies.  CIL has recently introduced 'third party sampling' of the coal supplied under which the coal purchasing party is free  to  choose  a  sampler  of  its  choice  from  the  empanelled  list  of  third  party samplers.Coking coal is mostly washed. Further, CIL has planned to construct 15 washeries (9 non-coking and 6 coking) having capacity of 112.6 Mte.

****