PC projects 76 mt demand-supply gap of coal by 2011-2012

New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) The Planning Commission has projected a demand-supply gap of nearly 76 million tonnes (MT) of coal by 2011-2012 in its approach paper for the 11th plan (2007-12).

According to Coal Ministry sources, the country will be required to import around 40 mt of superior grade thermal coal and another 36 mt of coking coal by 2011-12 as total demand is expected to be doubled to 710 mt by that time.

These huge imports would be required despite the strong efforts made by the public sector owned Coal India Ltd, to take up emergency expansion plan as part of its efforts to increase production by more than 60 per cent during the 11th plan.

The plan panel observed that this level of increase in output along with creation of necessary rail infrastructure for transportation of coal would be difficult to achieve and the country would have to increase imports.

Coal would remain the dominant commercial energy source with total demand across all sectors such as power, cement, steel and paper estimated to rise to about 710 mt as against about 370 mt in 2005-06.

Power sector alone would require about 503 mt by 2011-12, when total installed electricity generation capacity is projected to increase to about 200,000 mega watt (mw) from 1,25,000 mw at present.

India is also having the third largest reserves of coal only after US and China. The proven coal reserves stand at around 92 billion tonnes, while total reserves are estimated at more than 240 billion tonnes,the sources said.

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