Coal imports up at 46.62 MT; imports double in past 5 years

New Delhi, June 5 (UNI) To bridge the gap between the requirement and indigenous availability of coal and to improve the quality of overall blend, steel and allied industries are expected to import approximately 46.62 million tonnes of coal during 2006-07.

Of this, coking coal imports during 2006-07 was projected at 24.19 million tonnes and non-coking coal at 22.43 million tonnes, an ministry spokesman said today.

Due to limited resources of coking coal available, their imports have more than doubled during the past five years. From an amount of 20.93 million tonnes in 2000-01 -- of which coking coal constituted 11.06 MT and non-coking 9.87 MT -- it grew to an estimated 41.67 MT in 2005-06 with coking coal comprising 23.89 MT and non-coking coal 17.78 MT.

Traditionally, the Indian coal has high ash content. Some quantity of low ash non-coking coal is also being imported by the power sector and other consumers as per their need and cost consideration.

The Government has decided to go in for coal import to meet the higher power generation target, meet the improved plant load factor of various thermal power stations and for building coal stocks at power stations.

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