“Fourteen railway projects are being undertaken towards increasing the efficiency and further enhancing the capacity of the coal evacuation process,” the coal ministry Pralhad Joshi said in a statement.
Recently the government said 14 railway projects having an estimated cost of Rs 22,067 crore are being undertaken towards increasing the efficiency and further enhancing the capacity of the coal evacuation process, a move that will help in reducing the time and cost incurred in the transportation of the dry fuel. Once these projects are commenced, they are expected to augment the coal evacuation capacity of 410 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The coal ministry Pralhad Joshi said in a statement that, “The government endeavouring for a cleaner environment has placed great impetus to further develop rail transportation of coal.
Fourteen railway projects are being undertaken towards increasing the efficiency and further enhancing the capacity of the coal evacuation process”. Transporting coal via road over longer distances poses some of the major pitfalls and is detrimental to the environment and dents the coal miners pocket with the increased cost of transportation. Currently, Coal India Ltd (CIL) incurs about Rs 3,400 crore on transportation charges of coal.Â
Also, large volumes of coal are transported via road, which many a times lead to accidents while passing through rural areas because of narrow and poorly maintained road structures. To avert these hindrances, the government has projected to invest in alternative modes of transport, viz: rail, inland waterways and coastal shipping. These modes are aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the transportation of coal.
To avert these hindrances, the government has projected to invest in alternative modes of transport, viz: rail, inland waterways and coastal shipping.
Coal is the mainstay of the Indian energy sector catering to over 50 per cent of the total energy generation capacity mix. Multiple industries that of power utilities, steel, cement and other end-use industries consume coal in bulk quantities throughout the country, while coal production is mostly concentrated in a few states only, the statement said. Creating transportation infrastructures and efficiently managing the logistics to transport coal from point of origin to consumption centres are major challenges for the sustainable development of the coal market. It is said that the important modes of transport of coal are rail, road and the rail-cum-sea route and captive modes of transport of coal are rail, road and the rail-cum-sea route and captive modes such as merry-go-round (MGR) systems, conveyor belts and ropeways, it added Currently, coal is being transported majorly through railways, followed by transportation and MGRs.Â
The government is presented with a challenge to reduce the logistics cost from production centre to consumption centre and to counter these, they are taking up various projects for first-mile connectivity. This project will make the transportation of coal from point of production to the point of consumption a hassle-free process, it said.
The investment amount to be infused by Coal India for the first-mile connectivity (FMC) projects is estimated at Rs 14,200 crore by 2023-24, in two phases for its 49 FMC projects, the statement further added. To further increase the transportation of coal, CIL has placed the rapid loading system in 19 mines of CIL. CIL is constructing 21 additional railway sidings at an estimated investment of Rs 3,370 crore across four of its subsidiaries.
These projects, which include greenfield (fresh) and brownfield (existing) ones, will be commissioned by 2023-24. The sidings will add fillip to CIL’s first-mile connectivity efforts, acting as effective coal evacuation outlets. The company is aiming to move about 555 MT of coal per year through mechanised means by FY24. According to a report the Ministry of Coal is aiming to develop the entire evacuation channel starting right from the mines by investing in the development of silos, CHPs going up to the last channel and developing the railway sidings and constructing multiple railway lines to facilitate smooth movement of coal across the country.
According to a report the Ministry of Coal is aiming to develop the entire evacuation channel starting right from the mines by investing in the development of silos, CHPs going up to the last channel and developing the railway sidings and constructing multiple railway lines to facilitate smooth movement of coal across the country.
