Improving Efficiency and Sustainability of Coal Transportation in India

It sounds like the Ministry of Coal in India is taking a number of initiatives to improve the efficiency and environmental friendliness of coal transportation in the country as this will play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s energy security and to realize Atma Nirbhar Bharat by replacing imported coal with domestically mined coal as Ministry of Coal has set a target to produce 1.31Billion Ton in FY25 and 1.5BT in FY30. 

The development of the National Coal Logistic Plan, including First Mile Connectivity projects and the upgrading of mechanized coal transportation and loading systems, is aimed at increasing the speed and efficiency of coal transportation and reducing the reliance on road transportation. The Ministry has undertaken 51 first mile connectivity (FMC) projects (44 – CIL, 5- SCCL & 3 – NLCIL) of 522 MTPA capacity, out of which 8 Projects (6-CIL & 2-SCCL) of 95.5 MTPA capacity have been commissioned.  51 projects will cost Rs. 18000 crores and will be commissioned by FY2025. Additional 19 FMC projects of CIL & SCCL with capacity 330 MT will be taken up and to be implemented by FY26-27.

A study conducted by the National Environmental Research Institute (NEERI) in 2020-21 found that these initiatives are expected to lead to significant carbon emissions savings, a reduction in truck movement density, and diesel savings of INR 2,100 crore per year. Additionally, the PM Gati Shakti initiative, which aims to bring different Ministries together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects, is supporting the development of multimodal connectivity and addressing missing infrastructure gaps in the coal transportation sector. 

Outlook

It seems that these initiatives are intended to benefit the company, the railways, and consumers by improving the efficiency and sustainability of coal transportation in India. The Ministry of Coal has launched 13 railway projects to create multimodal connectivity in accordance with PM Gati Shakti’s objective and has identified any infrastructural deficiencies for each project. In the High Impact projects section of the NMP portal, four railway projects that will be built in the states of Jharkhand and Odisha and ease the flow of coal with quick logistics and greater connectivity for all commercial miners have been successfully mapped.

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