CIL to develop 55 new coal mines in next five years: Coal Minister

New Delhi: State-owned CIL will develop 55 new coal mines and expand 193 existing ones in the next five years, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

The company is also undertaking portal-based monitoring of ongoing projects to ensure their timely completion.

"Coal India has taken... steps to boost its coal production, (including) opening of 55 greenfield projects having capacity of 92 MTPA (million tonne per annum) and expansion of 193 brownfield projects having capacity of about 310 MTPA in next five years," Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a reply to the Lok Sabha.

A new project on an unused land is called a greenfield project while the existing one that is modified or upgraded is called a brownfield project.

Besides, CIL has introduced technology "to improve its work efficiency

with high capacity Heavy Earth Moving Machinery, like 42 cum Shovel and 240 T Rear Dumpers in Gevra Expansion, Dipka & Kusmunda open cast mines (and) introduction of surface miners in opencast mines to improve operational efficiency and to cater to environmental needs."

During 2018-19, around 50 per cent of the opencast coal production in CIL was through surface miners.

Further, in order to reduce import of coal, CIL is taking up source rationalisation with part supply from higher grade coal sources.