Govt fully geared to meet surge in coal demand amid West Asia crisis

New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions in West Asia threatening global energy supplies, the government on Wednesday said it is fully prepared to meet any unprecedented surge in coal demand, with overall coal stocks at about 210 million tonne — adequate for around 88 days.

This year, coal production and supply have outpaced consumption, leading to record-high stocks at thermal power plants and coal mines.

Supplies to the non-regulated sector are up nearly 14 per cent over the previous year.

Pithead coal stocks at mines of Coal India Ltd (CIL) stood at 106.78 million tonne on April 1, 2025, rising to 121.39 million tonne as of March 9 this year.

Further, there is around 6.07 million tonne of coal at the mines of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), another 15.12 million tonne at captive, commercial mines, and about 14 million tonne in transit, totalling 156.58 million tonne, the highest ever.

This stock is in addition to the coal which is already available at power plants, which is around 54.05 million tonne as on March 9, 2026, adequate for nearly 24 days at the present rate of consumption.

“The overall coal stock available in the country is about 210 million tonne, which would be adequate for about 88 days,” the coal ministry said in a statement.

The coal production in the country continues at the same pace, building stocks at the mine end, for maintaining adequate supply to the consumers as per their requirements, with the support of railways.

The coal ministry remains focused on creating a stable and performance-driven environment through continued policy facilitation, close performance monitoring, and coordinated engagement with stakeholders, with an aim to ensure reliable coal availability, support uninterrupted operations across key sectors, and meet the country’s growing energy needs.