'Making all efforts to enhance coal output'

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said increase in coal output has amounted to significant reduction in imports of the fossil fuel and stressed that it is continuing all efforts to further enhance coal production in the country.

The statement assumes significance in the wake of captive power plants in sectors like steel and aluminium facing coal shortages.

"The government is continuing all efforts to further enhance the coal production in the country as availability of additional coal will aid in import-substitution of coal," the coal ministry said in a statement.

The reforms in the coal sector have led to an increase in domestic production of coal by 9.01 per cent and the overall production of the dry fuel rose to 447.54 million tonnes (MT) till November this fiscal, compared to 410.55 MT in the corresponding months of FY'20.

The financial year 2020-21 is not being taken for comparison purpose due to industrial production getting severely affected because of COVID-19 related restrictions, it added. "With increase in domestic production of coal, we have achieved significant reduction in import of coal despite surge in power demand," the statement said.

The coal-based power generation up to November 2021 was 671.906 billion units (BU), an increase of 5.17 per cent over 638.82 BU generated during the corresponding period of FY'20. Imported coal based power generation, which was 61.78 BU during April to November 2019, reduced by 51.38 per cent to 30.036 BU in the corresponding months of FY'22.